Quick Pandoro Yule Log, with pandoro and mascarpone. Are you looking for quick desserts using leftover pandoro and lack inspiration? Try this log with citrus mascarpone cream, no-bake, very easy and delicious — perfect for the holidays and also great afterwards, when leftover pandori need to be eaten before Easter. Surely after the holidays and why not, even during them, we’re all looking for fun ideas to transform or recycle pandoro, tasty and easy recipes to reuse the famous traditional cake or simply turn it into something different and more showy. For example, I made this easy and quick dessert with pandoro: a log filled with a very simple citrus mascarpone cream, a decorative dessert perfect for the holidays and beyond, maybe for a cold Sunday in January when you don’t feel like turning on the oven but really want to enjoy a good family dessert. Let’s go to the kitchen now, but before rolling up our sleeves I remind you that if you want to stay updated on new recipes you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile.

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Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Economical
Rest time: 30 Minutes
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 10
Cooking methods: No-bake
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients to make the Pandoro Yule Log

2 1/4 cups mascarpone
2 eggs (large)
4.2 oz granulated sugar
3 tbsp + 1 tsp water
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 orange (large and juicy)
1 lemon (juicy)
1 pandoro
1 orange
to taste chopped pistachios

Tools

Rolling pin
Bowl
Saucepan
Thermometer
Knife
Plastic wrap

Steps to make the Christmas log with leftover pandoro

Let’s start by preparing the mascarpone cream. To make the mascarpone cream, pour the water into a small saucepan, add the sugar and place over the heat. Stir gently and bring the mixture to 250°F, measuring the temperature with a kitchen thermometer; if you don’t have one, the syrup will be ready when many small white bubbles form on the surface. Shortly before the temperature reaches 250°F — so around 239°F — begin whipping the whole eggs with electric beaters.
When the syrup reaches 250°F pour it in a thin stream over the eggs, lowering the speed of the beaters but continuing to whisk until the mixture has completely cooled. (This should pasteurize the raw eggs, but there is no absolute guarantee. To reduce contamination risk I also recommend cracking one egg and letting it slide into a clean bowl, washing your hands and repeating with the second egg, then washing your hands again.)
Once you have a cold, frothy mixture add half of the mascarpone and fold it in with the whisk, then add the other half and the vanilla extract.
The mascarpone cream is already good like this and will be quite soft.
To turn it into a firmer citrus mascarpone cream perfect for filling the log, add the orange juice (about 1/4 cup) and the grated zest of the orange, mix with the whisk and wait 2 minutes before adding the lemon juice (about 1 fl oz / 2 tbsp) and its zest.
Once the citrus juices are incorporated, after a few minutes you will notice that the cream, due to a typical chemical reaction of mascarpone, will become firmer and firmer as time passes. If this does not happen, add a little more lemon juice (but don’t overdo it) and mix.
Slice the pandoro, arrange the slices on the plastic wrap overlapping the edges to form a rectangle. Press with the rolling pin and spread 2/3 of the cream on top.
Roll up using the plastic wrap to help, shape into a cylinder, twist the ends like a candy and refrigerate for half an hour.
Trim the ends of the cylinder to make them neat, cut it in half and then cut one of the halves in two. Arrange the trunk with branches, cover with the remaining cream and the chopped pistachios and decorate with orange slices.
The log is ready; store it in the fridge for 2 days covered with plastic wrap.