Chocolate, Orange and Macadamia Buche de Noel

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chocolate, Orange and Macadamia Buche de Noel

Recipe By : Stephanie da Silva <arielle@bonkers.taronga.com>
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Cake
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange peel
Buttercreams
1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups water
5 egg yolks
6 tablespoons orange liqueur
2 1/4 cups butter, softened
4 1/2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
4 1/2 ounces unsweetenend chocolate, melted and cooled
Meringue Mushrooms
1/4 cup egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon egg
(paste)
unsweetened cocoa powder

Cake:
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a jelly roll pan with wax paper. Beat eggs,
yolk, and sugar at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Sift in flour and
cocoa. Add orange peel; gently fold together. Spread batter evenly in
prepared pan. Bake until cake is springy to the touch and begins to pull
from sides, about 7 minutes. Cut around edges to free cake. Turn out
cake and paper to work surface and let cool.

Buttercreams
Bring sugar and water to boil in heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar
dissolves. Continue boiling without stirring until thermometer registers
240F (soft ball stage).

Beat yolks until thickened. Add liqueur; gradually beat in hot syrup.
Continue beating until cool, about 5 minutes. Add butter 3 tablespoons
at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in orange juice concentrate.
Transfer 3 1/4 cups buttercream to a small bowl; mix chocolate into
remaining.


Assembly
Invert cake onto sheet of plastic wrap. Carefully remove paper. Spread
orange buttercream over cake, leaving 1 inch boarder on one long side.
Sprinkle with macadamias. Roll up jelly roll fashion, starting with
long side and rolling toward side with uncovered border.

Trim to make ends even. Cut 2 inches off each end of roll at 45 degree
angle. Transfer roll to platter using plastic as aid and arranging seam
side down. Spread some chocolate buttercream on cut ends of 2 inch ece
With buttercream touching cake, place one piece atop cake off-center and
the second on one long side to resemble tree stumps. Transfer 1 cup
chocolate buttercream to pastry bag fitted with 1/4 inch plain tip.
Spread remaining buttercream over cake. Pipe buttercream in spirals er
ends of buche and stumps, starting at center of each. Run fork tines
through buttercream to simulate bark.

Arrange holly and cranberries decoratively on buche. Garish with
Meringue Mushrooms right before serving.

Meringue Mushrooms
Preheat oven to 150F. Line baking sheet with wax paper. Beat whites,
and pinch of salt 1 minute to blend. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and
2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Add to whites in 3 additions, beating
for 20 seconds after each. Continue beating until meringue is stiff
and glossy. Transfer mixture to pastry bag fitted with 1/2 inch plain
tip. Pipe about fifteen 1/2 to 1 inch domed rounds on prepared sheet
for mushroom caps. Smooth top of each with damp finger. Pipe about
fifteen 1/2 to 1 inch high peaked mounds on prepared sheets for stems.
Bake until meringues are dry and beginning to color, about 1 3/4 hours.
Let cool completely.

Using small knife, cut small hole in bottom of each mushroom cap. Dip
peaked end of stem in sugar paste and push into hole in mushroom cap.
Repeat with remaining caps. Dust mushrooms with cocoa powder before
serving.








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