Christmas Log

Preparation Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 6 large free range eggs
• 125g (4 ½ oz) caster sugar
• 50g (2oz) cocoa powder

For the filling and topping

• 200g (7oz) milk chocolate
• 4 large free range eggs, separated
• 25g (1oz) unsalted butter
• 50g (2oz) caster sugar
• icing sugar, chocolate curls and cocoa powder for decoration

Needed:

• 30 x 23cm (12 x 9 inch) rectangular tin with deep-sides, lined with baking parchment

1. Preheat oven to 170ºC, 150ºC fan, 325ºF, Gas Mark 3. Place sugar and egg yolks in an electric mixer and whisk until thick and pale. Sift in the cocoa powder and fold in.

2. Separately, whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the egg yolk mixture, stirring thoroughly. Pour onto the tin. Then bake on the oven centre shelf for 15-20 minutes.

3. Once the roulade has risen and is springy to touch, take out of the oven.

4. Put on a sheet of baking parchment on top of the roulade, inverting it onto a chopping board. Ensure you carefully peel off the paper that is on the top. Roll the roulade tightly using the baking parchment on the bottom to enable you to manoeuvre it.

5. For the filling, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter. Cool somewhat. Stir in the egg yolks and liqueur. Mix thoroughly.

6. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl. Slowly mix in the sugar until it is thick and glossy. Fold in to the chocolate mixture.

7. To put together, unroll the roulade and spread with three quarters of the mousse filling, keeping aside the rest for the top. Roll it as tightly as possible, putting the rest of the mousse filling on top. Decorate with chocolate curls, dusting with cocoa powder and icing sugar.

These chocolate logs can be made 2 days before serving and kept in a fridge in a closed container.