Happy New Year + Recipe for Buche de Noel

                                                
 Recipe | Buche de Noel
cake ingredients:
6 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Dash salt
Confectioners' sugar

filling ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp instant coffee (I use instant espresso)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. grease the bottom of a 15.5 x 10.5 x 1 inch jelly roll pan; line with waxed or parchment paper; grease lightly.  Preheat the oven to 375.  In a large bowl of an electric mixer beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form when the beater is slowly raised.

2.  Add 1/4 cup sugar, 2 TBS at a time, beating until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised.  In a clean bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed, adding remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 2 TBS at a time. Beat until mixture pale and very thick - about 4 minutes.

3.  At low speed, beat into egg yolk mixture, cocoa, vanilla, and salt, just until smooth.  With a wire whisk or rubber scraper using an under-and-over motion, gently fold the coca mixture into the beaten egg whites, just until they are blended (no egg white should show).

4. Spread evenly in pan. Bake 15 minutes, just until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip.  Sift confectioners' sugar (VERY LIBERALLY) on a clean ,linen dish towel (Tip: use a thick dish towel, without a pattern on it)  Flip warm pan onto dish towel and gently lift off the pan.  I laid the dish towel over a large wire cooling rack, not sure that was necessary but I felt like it helped. This is a bit of a tricky step just because it is awkward, I was afraid the cake would fall (er, fly?) out and break.  I didn't have any trouble though. Beginner's luck? After you've lifted the pan off the cake, remove the paper backing on the cake.

5.  Roll up, jelly roll fashion, starting with the short end, towel and all.  Cool completely on rack, seam side down - at least 1/2 hour.  To make filling: Combine ingredients in medium bowl.  Beat with electric mixer until very thick and then refrigerate.

6.   Unroll cake: spread with filling to 1 inch from edge; re-roll.  Place seam side down on a serving platter; cover loosely with foil.  Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

To serve:
Top cake with chocolate curls.  Adorn platter with forest garnishes (rosemary sprigs, cranberries, mushrooms, and pinecones). Dust top of cake with confectioners sugar.  Ohhh and ahhh, take pictures and then serve it up!  :)  Dip long knife in a glass of warm water before slicing each slice to make clean and pretty slices.  And top each plate with a couple meringue mushrooms.