Noel Ice Cream Cups Recipes

BûCHE DE NOëL (YULE LOG)

Steps:

• If you want to decorate the cake with sugared cranberries and rosemary, start them the night before because they need to sit for several hours. Place cranberries and rosemary in a large bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of sugar and the water to a boil and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour sugar syrup over the cranberries and rosemary and stir to combine. Let the cranberries and rosemary sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator (lightly covered) for 6 hours or overnight. You'll notice the sugar syrup is quite thick after this amount of time. Drain the cranberries and rosemary from the syrup and pour 1 cup of sugar on top. Toss to coat. Pour the sugared cranberries and rosemary on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and let them dry for at least 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 12×17 inch baking pan with nonstick spray or grease with butter, so the parchment paper sticks. Then line it with parchment paper so the cake seamlessly releases. Spray or grease the parchment paper too. We want an extremely nonstick surface for this cake roll.
• Whisk the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside until the next step. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and 1/2 cup (100g) sugar together on high speed for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another bowl. Using the same mixing bowl you just had the egg whites in (no need to clean it), add the egg yolks, remaining sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Beat together on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until thickened and light in color.
• Add half of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Beat on low speed for 10 seconds. Repeat with remaining egg whites and beat on low for 10 seconds. Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low or fold with a rubber spatula until combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture. Avoid over-mixing and deflating those egg whites. Batter will be very light.
• Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Gently bang the pan on the counter a couple times to pop any air bubbles. Bake for 18-19 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly poked with your finger. Cake will look a little bubbly on top when it's done. That's ok. Avoid over-baking cake because it will crack if over-baked. As the cake bakes, get started on the next step.
• As the cake bakes, place a piece of parchment paper (larger than the cake) or a thin kitchen/tea towel flat on the counter. (Note: I find a kitchen towel is better to help prevent cracking.) Using a fine mesh sieve, dust parchment/towel with 3 Tablespoons (15g) of cocoa powder. Once the cake comes out of the oven, quickly run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Immediately invert it onto the parchment/towel. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake as it baked. Starting with the narrow end, begin tightly rolling the hot cake up with the parchment/towel. Do this slowly and gently. The cake will be warm. Allow the cake to cool completely rolled up in the parchment/towel. Feel free to place it in the refrigerator to speed it up, about 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a completely clean residue-free large glass or metal mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg white, cream of tartar, and salt together on high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes- this is a small amount and the whisk on a stand mixer might not reach it, so whisk by hand until foamy if needed. With the mixer running on high speed, slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff glossy peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Snip off the end of a plastic bag or fit a round piping tip in a piping bag. I use and recommend Wilton 2A piping tip or any tip with around a 1/2 inch opening. Pipe quarter-sized circles (these will be the round mushroom tops) and 1-inch tall cones (these will be the stems). You will have enough meringue batter for about 16 mushrooms. I usually only make 8-12 and discard leftovers, but feel free to make all 16. Using a moistened finger (just a dab of water is fine), smooth down any peaks. If desired, lightly dust mushroom tops with cocoa powder using a fine mesh sieve. Bake for 2 hours. Do not open the oven as the meringues bake. Turn off the oven after 2 hours and let the meringues sit inside the cooling oven for 20 minutes. Remove meringues from the oven and cool completely. When they're just about cool, melt the 1 ounce of chocolate in a double boiler or use the microwave. If using the microwave, melt in 15 second increments, stopping and stirring between each until melted and smooth. Cool for 5-10 minutes. (Easier to adhere mushrooms if the melted chocolate is a bit cool.) Once meringues have cooled, use a flat spatula to remove them from the baking sheets. Dot a bit of chocolate onto the center of the bottom of a mushroom top. Adhere a mushroom stem to it. Place back on the baking sheet to set. If stems or tops still have a little peak, scrape off with a knife or your spatula, as you see me do in the video above. Leaning them against the rim is helpful if they keep toppling over. Repeat with remaining tops and stems to form mushrooms. Let chocolate cool and harden, about 1 hour.
• Remove the cake roll from the refrigerator and allow to sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm up as you prepare the whipped cream.
• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, Frangelico, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa powder on medium-high speed until medium to stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
• Gently and very slowly unroll the cake. Spread whipped cream evenly on top, leaving about a 1/2 inch border around the cake. I like using a large or small offset spatula to spread. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on top. Gently roll the cake back up, without the parchment/towel this time. Roll it slowly. This part is messy. Carefully place on a cutting board. If the exterior of the cake looks moist, dust with a little cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days before shaping and topping with ganache.
• Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil- that's too hot.) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Ganache will be thin, so it has to thicken before using. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour to thicken.
• Remove rolled cake from the refrigerator. Diagonally slice a 3-4 inch section off one end. At this point, I usually place the cake on a serving platter. Place the angled side against a side of the roll, forming a branch. Slowly pour and spread thickened ganache all over the top and sides of cake. Feel free to leave the cut ends exposed (as you see in these photos) or spread ganache over the ends- there should be plenty of ganache to use. Use a fork to make textured lines resembling tree bark. Feel free to wipe the serving plate if ganache dripped all over.
• Decorate with meringue mushrooms, sugared cranberries and rosemary, and a dusting of confectioners' sugar just before serving.
• Cover leftover cake and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

FROZEN CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT BùCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Place chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl. Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until melted and smooth. Do ahead can be made 1 week ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm, uncovered, in microwave in 15-second intervals and whisk before using.
• For chocolate leaves:
• Stir chocolate in small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Using pastry brush, brush chocolate on underside (veined side) of 1 leaf to coat completely (do not allow chocolate to drip over edge of leaf). Place leaf, chocolate side up, on small foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining leaves. Chill, uncovered, until chocolate coating is cold and firm, at least 1 hour. Working with 1 leaf at a time, carefully peel green leaf away from chocolate. Return chocolate leaf to same sheet; discard green leaf. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking sheet with parchment. Coat paper with nonstick spray and dust with cocoa.
• Sift 1/2 cup sugar, cake flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder, and salt into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks in large bowl until thick. Beat in oil, 2 tablespoons water, and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until blended. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into yolk mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Spread batter evenly on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake cake until puffed and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Sift light layer of cocoa over large smooth kitchen towel (not terry cloth). Cut around pan sides. Turn cake out onto prepared towel, leaving 3-inch cloth border on 1 long side. Peel off parchment. Starting at long side with cloth border and using cloth as aid, roll up cake in towel (towel will be rolled up inside). Place cake, seam side down, on work surface; cool completely.
• Microwave ice cream in 10-second intervals until barely softened. Unroll cake on work surface but leave on cloth. Dollop ice cream over cake by spoonfuls. Gently spread ice cream into even layer, leaving 1-inch plain border on long side opposite cloth border. Sprinkle ice cream with crushed candy. Using cloth as aid and starting at cloth border, roll up cake, enclosing ice cream in cake. Place cake, seam side down, on long platter; cover with plastic wrap. Freeze cake at least 8 hours or overnight.
• For meringue:
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Beat in vanilla.
• Cut off 1/8 of cake at angle at 1 end. Press cutoff part onto center of 1 side of log, cut side in. Spread meringue all over top, sides, and ends of cake. Using fork, make long grooves in meringue down length of cake and in circles on ends to resemble tree bark. Freeze cake until meringue is cold and firm, at least 3 hours. Using torch, brown meringue in random spots. Return cake to freezer. DO AHEAD: can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
• Garnish cake with chocolate leaves, fresh mint sprigs, and small candy canes. Cut cake crosswise into 1-inch-wide slices. Drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.

NOEL ICE CREAM CUPS

Steps:

• 1. In a medium bowl, combine the ice cream, pecans. cherries and extracts, mix well. Fold in M&M's. Spoon into paper-lined muffin cups and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped M&M's. Makes 8-10 servings.

CARAMEL-PECAN BûCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 17x12x1-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment; butter paper. Pulse nuts and flour in processor until nuts are finely chopped (not ground). Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in very large bowl until foamy. With mixer running, gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar, beating just until stiff peaks form. Using electric mixer, beat yolks with 1/3 cup sugar and bourbon in large bowl until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add yolk mixture to egg-white mixture. Sprinkle nuts over; gently fold until almost incorporated. Add butter; fold gently just to blend. Pour into prepared baking sheet, spreading batter gently to form even layer.
• Bake cake until edges begin to brown and cake is firm to touch, about 14 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.
• For frosting and caramel sauce:
• Stir 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 9 minutes (time will vary, depending on size of pan). Remove from heat; immediately add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Whisk in butter, bourbon, and salt. Stir over medium heat until any caramel bits dissolve. Transfer 1 cup caramel sauce to small pitcher. Add chocolate to remaining caramel in saucepan. Let stand off heat 5 minutes; whisk until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Let frosting stand until spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
• Spread 1 cup frosting over cake in even layer. Beginning at 1 long side and using parchment as aid, roll up cake jelly-roll style. Starting 1 inch in from each end of cake, cut off 3-inch-long diagonal piece from each end. Arrange cake, seam side down, on platter. Spread cut side of each 3-inch cake piece with some of frosting. Attach 1 cake piece, frosting side down, to top of cake near 1 end. Attach second piece to side of cake near opposite end. Cover cake with remaining frosting. Run fork in concentric circles on cake ends. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely with waxed paper and let stand at room temperature.
• Garnish platter with leaves. Sprinkle cake lightly with powdered sugar. Cut cake into slices and serve with bananas, if desired, ice cream, and sauce.