This Christmas dessert looks like a Yule log, but it's not really one. It has a little chocolate, but not too much. And above all, it's very light! It's very similar to a pavlova. The recipe is really easy and accessible to everyone. You just need to prepare your ingredients well before assembling the Yule log.
You can prepare the various elements the day before your meal. But the assembly should be done just a few hours beforehand if you want the meringue to remain crisp.
Recipe for 8 people
Meringue
- 2 egg whites
- 100 g of sugar
- 20g unsweetened cocoa (or a little more according to your taste)
Whipped cream
- 300 ml of 35% whipping cream
- 30 ml icing sugar
Rest of the recipe
- 1 jar of pitted cherries in syrup (this can also be cherries macerated in alcohol)
- 1 bar of dark baking chocolate
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Preparation
For the 3 rectangular meringues
- Preheat oven to 250°F / 120°C.
- Beat 2 egg whites until stiff peaks form. When they begin to become frothy, gradually add the sugar in several stages. Beat the egg whites until you obtain a fairly firm meringue. Turn the bowl upside down; the meringue should stay in place. Gently add the cocoa powder and mix it in using a spatula.
- Take a baking sheet. Line it with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Arrange the meringue into three 10 cm x 25 cm rectangles. Leave enough space between each rectangle as the meringue may puff up slightly during baking.
- Bake for 1.5 to 2 hours. Make sure the meringue doesn't brown. If not, lower the oven temperature. The meringue should be completely dry when finished baking.
- Store on a wire rack in a dry place until ready to use.
For the whipped cream
- Place the mixer bowl and whisk in the refrigerator for 1 hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Once the bowl is completely cold, pour in the single cream and icing sugar. Whip the cream until it becomes firm and peaks form on the whisk. Keep an eye on it to prevent it from turning into butter. However, this step can still take a few minutes.
- Keep cool.
For assembly
- Drain the cherries.
- Place a rectangle of meringue on your serving platter. Spread a layer of whipped cream over the top and top with ⅓ of the cherries. Repeat this process two more times. Finish by grating some dark chocolate using a microplane. Sift a little cocoa powder over the cherries as well. You can add small Christmas decorations to decorate your log.
And there you have it, dessert is finished! Super simple, but delicious… And gluten-free!
