You’ll LOVE this YULE … the Daring Bakers go French
Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.
They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand. THE CHALLENGE RULE is that you MUST MAKE ALL 6 of these elements for the log:
I DID IT … 1) Dacquoise Biscuit, 2) Mousse, 3) Ganache Insert, 4) Praline (Crisp) Insert, 5) Creme Brulee Insert, 6) Icing. The assembly will essentially be a Dacquoise Biscuit at the bottom, and the inserts inter-layered with mousse, with an icing finish. The first rule was NOT TO PANIC… which I immediately did! My heart is still palpitating rather quickly as I type my post… but I must say that the praline crisp is the most delicious thing I’ve ever made in 5 minutes flat! Do stop by at Hildas‘ & Marions’ to check out their posts & the recipe.
I walked straight into the trap, & hit the kitchen on Monday morning the minute the kids left for school & the hub was caught at the airport with fog disruptions. 
Je me suis senti très perdu pour la première fois dans ma vie!!
I actually had no clue as to what I was making (just like I’m not really sure what I’ve just written in French…!). All I had was 6 elements in my mind, & that I had to gallop as fast as I could. Should have done the brulee first to save time for later, but never mind. Began with the dacquoise, then mousse, then brulee… with laundry, lunch, chatting on the phone & a visit to the market thrown in. No rice krispies or corn flakes, you see. I did most of it the first day & left the ganache insert & icing for day 2… by the end of day 1 I had a serious overdose of egginess!! I wanted nothing to do with the log. Everything I looked at smelt of egg, eggophobic me, & I just thought I wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole. 
By the evening, when I served these little dessert cups made with left over crisp & chocolate mousse, drizzled with melted marmalade, I was cured of the fear of egg, & sat back & enjoyed a pre-DB dessert! It was delicious!! I think its a great dessert to be made for the future… just the crispy praline layer at the bottom, topped with mousse from the challenge… the mousse was luscious & set beautifully! Était délicieux!
The dacquoise was brilliant. I made a walnut base since I had a fresh lot of walnuts that my Mom’s friend got for me from Kashmir. Made it spread out in a jelly roll pan. Was good enough to go right around my log. I cut a small strip for the top, & used the rest to line my loaf pan. Of course I had huge plans of making a ‘log’ mould etc, but finally, in panic, just used the loaf tin. It worked alright, but would have looked prettier as a log! Whatever…
I did a ginger creme brulee for the insert, where I steeped the milk for an hour with some minced fresh ginger & a spilt vanilla bean. I strained it & whipped the custard mix & just before pouring it in to set it, added some finely chopped crystallised ‘ginger & tangerine’ peel. I crystallised them the day before, after getting hypnotised by a David Levobitz post about candied ginger. Helen @ Tartlette mentioned a water bath to bake the brulee in until “just wobbly”. As far a I am concerned, Helen’s word is my baking law, so I blindly follow it, always. Did just that, the creme brulee was slightly wobbly & pushed into the freezer. Maybe I should have given it a bit longer to firm up, as it wasn’t too easy & smooth to slide into my final assembly, but oooooooooooooh did the flavours mature well in the log. Tasted just fantastic!
The praline crisp was delicious too. Couldn’t find rice crispies here, so cornflakes went in. I should have crushed them a bit to get a thinner crisp. That way there might have been enough place in my log for 2 layers. The mousse was lusciously divine, but it was the ganache insert which I did in white chocolate that won my heart. It was finger licking good & delectable.
The final assembly was done in a hurry, so what’s new, huh?… but was a whole lot of fun!! And, in grave error of order of layers, in went the dacquoise, then a layer of mousse, then a layer of crisp. Should have actually been the creme brulee, then mousse, then the crisp. Well, in any case, it worked well. The white chocolate ganache insert went in early next morning, sealed with the reserved bit of dacquoise. 
The icing was fiddly, didn’t know which direction I was going in, & whether it would just slide off. Thankfully it stayed put & tasted quite nice. The kids lapped up the slightly rubbery extra bit between cookies!
Aaaaah, finally the topping. To tie in my flavours, I used crystallised ginger & tangerines, fresh tangerines dipped in dark chocolate, dark chocolate flakes, dark chocolate leaves, & a sprinkling of sugar. Once done, I felt it looked too noisy & busy for me, but the kids loved it. Eventually I thought it was festive in every which way… a celebration of being a Daring Baker!!
The taste was unsurpassed. Never had something quite as exquisite & luscious as this. Thank you Dharm, once again! It was out of this world. Each layer had it’s own texture & flavour, it’s own beauty. And then all the layers came together in perfect harmony! C’est Magnifique!! What a beautiful experience this one has been. Thank you Hilda/ Merci Marion … for the wonderful & really adventurous challenge! 
Please do stop by here & check out what our other Daring Bakers have rolled into their logs this holiday season! Pardon my broken French word usage & thank you for stopping by…
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Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
67 Comments
sunita
Glad you gave it try, Deeba…it is indeed a yummy challenge, isn’t it?
And you’ve done a wonderful job too. Hope your son is well now 🙂
Elle
What a perfectly gorgeous buche Deeba! The flavors sound enticing, too. You must have been exhausted by the end of the day! Lovely job.
Chris
Deeba, this looks fantastic! The first picture? I wish that was my table. 🙂
JZ @ Tasty treats
What abeautiful log, Deeba!! The choc leaves and the pre-DB dessert look awesome!! 🙂
SS
Lovely, just lovely! Sounds absolutely yum! What a wonderful way to close 2008, hoping for many more in 2009!
Elra
This looks so beautiful, Deeba!
Each elements sounds so delicious as well. I like your decoration and that ginger creme brulee sound mighty delicious!
Well done…
Elra
Rosa's Yummy Yums
Your log looks fantastic! I love the decorations!
Cheers and best wishes for the New Year,
Rosa
Manggy
I can just appreciate how difficult this was, Deeba… You’ve grown so much as a passionate baker these past 12 months, haven’t you? Very well done!
Jo
You’ve done an amazing job at your yule log. Love the decorations and the photos.
Marija
I am so happy you made it after all! And it turned out so wonderful. I also thought I won’t be able to make it but after reading your post on DB forum I changed my mind 🙂 I’m making it today, so fingers crossed 🙂
Gloria
What can I say dear!!! Is absolutely georgeous and beautiful!!! OMG, I love it Deeba!!! xxxGloria
Ivy
You did a great job Deeba, your yule log looks fantastic.
teafactory
mmm…those kumquats are adorable!
Curry Leaf
WOW,PERFECT AND FANTASTIC.NICE THAT YOU COULD OVERCOME THE FEAR.NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE DISH.
WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR
Gfron1
I think you did a magnificent job on this! Very classy looking and I know it tasted great.
The Irreverent Cook
Oh WOW! Your decorations are a masterpiece!
Hilda
Oh Deeba I’m so glad you ended up giving it a go. It wasn’t too too bad now was it? I love all your pictures and I’m glad the log was just fine even if you transposed the layers (the order was mainly so it wouldn’t fall apart completely when you cut it). You’re welcome from Marion and me. Happy New Year!
creampuff
Deeba,
What enthusiasm! Your Yule Log is just beautiful and I love the flavour combinations. Well done! All the best in 2009!
meeso
That must have taken you forever! My daughter, bf and I were drooling looking at the pictures. I don’t think I’d ever be daring enough to try something like this!
Dayna
Such a fun, show-stopping challenge. It was perfect for the Holidays. I’m sure yours was truly enjoyed.
All the best in 2009.
Lori
I love your quote. That is exactly how I felt about this challenge. It was risky and even though I did not love my end result , it was acceptable and I am proud I took the risk.
Yours looks amazing. I love the leaves, it was a great idea!
Yasmeen
Lovely,I like the way you presented it:)
noble pig
Deeba that is amazing, I mean wow! What an accomplishment. I would love to attempt this just for the challenge. And your decorations are beautiful, not to busy at all.
Gretchen Noelle
Your decorations are just amazing! And those flavors combos – wow! Great job!!
cookemila
deeba me encanta la combinacion de mandarinas o naranjas con el chocolate y como lo has echo en un rollo y la decoracion de hojas es sublime.Feliz reto y feliz año nuevo
Anna at Mediocre Chocolate
Wow! Your attention to detail and photography skills blow me away. I am new here and I love the way your site is illustrated. Beautiful buche!
Neha
OMG, what a log, its just amazing. Beautiful decoration and such eyecatching snaps,wonderful presentation.. myself drooling to have a slice. I’m a zero in baking, n just can’t believe this could be even be done …
The Blonde Duck
How elegant! Kudos for even attempting it, and doing a fantastic job at that!
Soma
Beautiful just so beautiful!
My first time here.. & I do not know hos I had not come here before!! Just an awesome place.
Nachiketa
there we go again….. you’ve tickled me…….
now i just have to do this too……
love the way you present the goodies….. 🙂
can drool over them….
Anonymous
Dear Deeba,
what a wonderful surprise when I discover your delightful blog! It’s a pleasure to “taste” your fantastic food-novel, together with astonishing photo. I will come back soon here to share new fantastic experience.
CookingMama (from Cremona, Italy)
Aparna
Deeba, I’m glad you finally decided to do the challenge after all.
The log looks fantastic, all orangey and chocolate.
I was a bit worried about the “egginess” of the whole thing, so I went with eggless elements except for the dacquoise.
Best wishes for the festive season and a Happy New Year.
Dharm
Yeah go on, Blame me, its always my fault.. Hahahaha!! So glad you managed to fit this in and I’m happy I’m partly to blame!! 🙂
Your log looks just superb and who knew you speak French too??!!! Blessed Christmas to you and yours!
Rajani
deeba it looks spectacular! love the pics – would love a bite! wishing you and your family a very happy new year!
Bellini Valli
Look at those whimsical chocolate leaves Deeba. Everyone must have been delighted with this special holiday treat!!
Uj
Looks yummy… the presentation looks wonderful. I don’t think I can ever make anything that looks so beautiful. You are very very creative..
Jasmine
Magnifique! I also made chocolate leaves for decoration, it is so pretty. I love the flavors you chose and that touch of orange color in the deco. Congratulations for a most beautiful log!
MeetaK
Ginger Cream Brulee??!! I’ll have an extra portion of that please. I love your layers. Perfect job Deeba!
Wishing you and your family a happy new year!
Aran
love the flavor combo deeba. well done!
bonobocakes
Your photos are amazing! I love the orange color, it is such a lovely contrast to the dark chocolate icing! Bravo!
Happy Holidays!
bee
here’s wishing you and your family a fantastic 2009, dear deeba.
vibi
What an amazing job you’ve done, Deeba!
Your log looks perfect… wow, the decorations you’ve added make it seem out of this world! BRAVO!
awoz
I relaly like the decoration out of chocolate, it looks beautifful on your log:)ANd I also love the ginger chocolate combination.What a wonderfull idea!
It was quite a challenge…
I wish you, Deeba and all your family, a happy new year 2009 full of love and joy!
The Food Hunter
That looks fantastic.
Clumbsy Cookie
I allways love your step-by-step pictures! What a gorgeous log, with perfect layers and wonderful flavours!
Hannah
Wow, I love how you decorated your yule log! The contrasting colors are very striking. It looks amazing!
Maya
Hey Deeba, The yule log looks just fantastic. What a great job you have done. Have come to your blog after a long time, went thryu a few posts, but still a lot to catch up..Loved the herb cheesecrackers.. Here’s wishing you and ur family a very happy 2009 :)…
Kevin
Amazing looking yule log!
noobcook
It looks like a lot of work but the end result is amazing =)
Mary
What a wonderful way to end your first year as a Daring Baker! Happy New Year to you and many more happy DB challenges ahead.
Srivalli
Thats a fabulous log Deeba!..great efforts!
Purnima
Been at this page since 30 mins! Been reading, admiring, reading more, in awe of stepwise pics! How did u manage with the brulee then? (pic 4.1 can see the parchment along wt brulee, also how did u mouse in the mousse?) Looks like a suspense to me, turning to a video for clearing my doubts! 😀 Amazing presentation, lovely decoration, loved everything abt this, words ka shortage hai, bahut likhne ke baad bhi, “Tareef karun kya uski, jisne yeh log banaya!” Hope u u/stand these lines in Hindi.:D
HAPPYYYYY 2009!!
Maria Jose
Estoy muy muy contenta de haber descubierto tu blog, es fenomenal!! tienes unas recetas impresionantes y tus fotos son preciosas, un abrazo
Barbara
Stunning creation Deeba. Happy New Year.
Y
Glad you managed to make this! I know I would’ve been kicking myself if I passed completely on it. By the way, those chocolate leaves are so pretty! I must remember to do something like that in the near future.
Jenny
Your pictures make me want to make this recipe again, because they are just so beautiful. I love your flavor combination choices too, particularly the ginger!
Big Boys Oven
My lips is sealed with lots of desire for this lovely cake of yours, so amazinbg looking and looks so wanting too!
Simran
Phew! What a challenge! I know I wont touch anything like this – the complicated recipe will freak me out.
Yours looks great and yummy; just perfect to end the year.
Hope you have a great 2009
Peabody
That does look out of this world.
Natalie...
I think this was definately a great way to end 2008, hoping next years challenges will be jsut as good!! Great job!!
Laura Rebecca
What a scrumptious looking yule-log! You did a marvelous job.
Happy new year!
ostwestwind
Absolutely stunning pictures
Happy New Year
Ulrike from Küchenlatein
Purnima
And yes..am back here to say there is no video on something gorgeous like this! So when u hv the time, u hv to clear the suspense! 😀 HW DID U GET THE MOUSSE INTO LOG FRM PARCHMENT? 😀 Persistent, some readers r, tch tch.:D
Julie
Ooh, ginger creme brulee! I made chocolate leaves too, but mine were big ol’ camelia leaves. Yours are so elegant. 🙂
Sheri
Oh my gosh! Your log looks amazing, oh, fellow Daring Baker!!! I have much to learn to be even a smidgeon as competent as you.
And I’ll be honest — you had me drooling from the very first photo!
Belle
Jeanne
I am absolutely stunned – this is the most gorgeous Yule log I’ve seen!! Very impressed with the long and complicated process you completed to make it – truly a daring baker 🙂
Caro
I really want to have this recipe, please send it to me!!