Christmas Yule Log

Directions
Preparation:40min  ›  Cook:20min  ›  Ready in:1hour 

1. Fruit Filling: Soak the fruit in the brandy overnight.
2. Chocolate Swiss Roll: Whisk the egg and sugar with an electric food mixer until the mixture looks like thick whipped cream. Add ground almonds. Sieve flour and cocoa powder together then fold it into the egg mixture with a metal spoon.
3. Pour the mixture into a lined well greased 30cm X 20cm Swiss roll tin. Bake towards the top of the oven at 200 degrees C for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Turn out on to a sheet of baking paper then carefully peel off the lining paper and trim away the crispy edges. Roll up with the sheet of baking paper inside to prevent sticking. Leave to cool.
5. Crème au Beurre: Place sugar in a saucepan with 6 tablespoons water. Gently dissolve. Bring to the boil and bubble for 2-3 minutes to reach 107 degrees C.
6. Whisk the egg yolks in a food mixer. Drizzle the syrup gradually into the egg yolks while whisking all the time until the mixture is thick and cold. Gradually whisk in the butter. Then add the brandy.
7. Making the Yule Log: Take half of the crème au beurre. Stir in the brandy soaked fruits.
8. Unroll the Swiss roll and remove the paper in the centre. Spread the brandied fruit crème mixture and roll up again.
9. Take 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder then add 1 tablespoon of hot water to form a paste. Add the cocoa paste to the rest of the crème au beurre to make the chocolate crème.
10. Cover the top of the Swiss roll with chocolate crème. Use a fork to gently draw lines on the top to make it look like a log. Decorate with pine trees, holly and berries. Dust with icing sugar on top to make a snow scene.