Tom Cook, executive chef at Le Pont de la Tour, spent one year at highly regarded MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) pastry chef Laurent Duchêne’s pastry shop of the same name. He says: “This Bûche de Noel brings back memories of my time in France, because I ate so much of it!  It is a great layered dessert.”

Ingredients:

Hazelnut dacquoise

• 300ml egg whites
• 125g sugar
• 225g ground hazelnuts
• 200g icing sugar
• 60g flour

Coffee bavarois

• 60ml double cream
• 60ml milk
• 25g sugar
• 30g yolks
• ½ vanilla bean
• 3g leaf gelatine, soaked to soften (follow on-pack instructions)
• 100g double cream
• 50ml coffee essence or strong espresso

White chocolate mousse

• 270g white chocolate
• 500ml double cream
• 2 leaves gelatine

Meringue to garnish

• 500g egg whites
• 850g sugar

You will also need two moulds. Tom uses one long big mould 48cm x 8cm and smaller moulds (5cm x 5cm) for the inner layer of the bavarois. He makes a number of bavarois to sit inside the main bûche of the white chocolate mousse.

Method:

Dacquoise

Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.

Whisk the egg white and when it starts to froth, add the sugar in spoonfuls until it is all used up and you have a smooth, stiff mixture.

Next, sift in the dry ingredients, then carefully fold them in with a spoon, so as not to lose the air bubbles.

Spread onto a flat non-stick baking tray (or a normal baking tray lined with baking paper).

Cook for about 8-10 minutes.

Bavarois

Put the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla into a pan and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly before pouring into the yolks, whisking all the time.

Next, add the soaked gelatine and stir in.

Once the mixture has cooled and started to thicken, whip the cream to the soft peak stage and fold into the mix. Then add the coffee.

Set the bavarois in your smallest moulds.

White chocolate mousse

Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over hot water. Take off the heat and add 100ml of the double cream. Add the soaked and drained gelatine. (If it splits when you add the gelatine, warm gently and mix until it is smooth.)

Semi-whip the cream and fold into the chocolate mix.

Pour into your terrine mould and push in the set bavarois so it is level with the top of the mould

Cut the dacquoise so it fits on top, and push it so that it will stick to the mousse.

Place in the fridge to set overnight.

Meringue

Whip the egg whites and when they start to froth, slowly start adding the sugar until you have a smooth mixture. (You can also add a shot of espresso to this too, if you like coffee flavour.)

Turn your set bûche from the mould and cover with the meringue, before carefully browning with a blowtorch.