Nutella Christmas Log
This is the infallible family recipe for a homemade Christmas log, specifically a recipe given to me by my French mother-in-law.
In France, it is tradition at Christmas to prepare the famous Bûche de Noël (Christmas log), a great classic of French pastry, reminiscent of the traditional log of wood burning in the hearth from Christmas to New Year’s.
The base of the Christmas log can be filled however you like (chestnut cream and cream, jam, pistachio cream, ricotta and chocolate chips) I filled it with Nutella.
Then I covered the surface of the Christmas log with a delicious chocolate cream (egg-free) which I will write about in this recipe (another French recipe from my mother-in-law)

You can fill the Christmas log however you like, for example: with chestnut cream or inside and out just with Nutella and garnish with whipped cream (in this case, you will need two 450g jars of Nutella and cream as needed).
If you are looking for Christmas recipes, go to my Blog section: “Special Christmas/New Year”.

Ingredients for the Christmas Log:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
2 pinches fine salt
2 tbsps vanilla extract
1 lb Nutella®
as needed unsweetened cocoa powder (for decoration)
as needed whipped cream (for garnish (optional))
as needed powdered sugar
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
4 1/4 cups whole milk (warm)
1 1/2 tbsps butter
1 1/2 tbsps cognac (or Rum)

Tools for the Nutella Christmas Log

Steps for the Nutella Christmas Log

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, and cocoa) in a tall saucepan. Meanwhile, heat the whole milk in another saucepan.
Slowly add the heated milk to the mixed dry ingredients and thicken the cream on low heat. Turn off the heat and add the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
Let it cool and add the cognac.
Whisk the 6 egg yolks with the sugar using a stand mixer for 5 minutes, then add the flour, salt, and vanilla extract, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the 6 egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (but not too stiff).
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, a little at a time, mixing delicately with a hand whisk from bottom to top.
Spread the entire mixture into one large baking tray measuring 16×12 inches, covered with parchment paper (trying to make the side edges thicker).
Bake in a hot preheated oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until the surface is light golden.
Remove the cooked rectangle of dough from the tray, sprinkle with powdered sugar (to help unroll it later) and roll the log in a clean, damp, and well-wrung cloth, and let it cool rolled up, at room temperature.
Unroll the large rectangle and cover it with Nutella heated in a bain-marie, wrap the log onto itself, and cover the entire log with the prepared chocolate cream (or with Nutella), streak it with the prongs of a fork, and sprinkle with cocoa powder (but only at serving time).
If desired, decorate with dollops of whipped cream and get creative with Christmas decorations (pine needles, currants, pomegranate seeds, etc.).
Store the log in the fridge and take it out half an hour before serving.