One thing that we’ve noticed over the years is that food plays such an important role our in lives and not just for fuel but for entertaining and providing us with fond memories too.
We’ve chatted to some of Ireland’s well-known faces and eateries to discover their favourite dishes and meals, be it from their childhood or simply something they like to rustle up at home.
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This week, we’re chatting to Catherine Leyden who has us thinking all things festive and comfort in the countdown to Christmas.
Catherine Leyden, one of Ireland’s most popular chefs, is renowned for her simple and easy to follow recipes that are fun, festive and flavoursome exclusively for Odlums.
Here Catherine shares an easy-to-follow, but seriously delicious chocolately yule log.
One more dessert to add to your Christmas day dinner…
Ingredients
- 75g/3oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour (less 2 tablespoons)
- 3 Eggs (separated)
- Pinch of Salt
- 75g/3oz Caster Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Cocoa
- 1 level teaspoon Baking Powder
Filling & Icing
- Filling & Icing
- 125g/4oz Tubbed margarine
- 225g/8oz Icing Sugar (sieved)
- 2 tblsp cocoa (sieved)
- 250ml carton of Cream
To Decorate
Icing Sugar and Holly Sprigs
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Line a swiss roll tin 28cm x 18cm/11” x 7” with greaseproof paper.
- Put the egg whites into a large clean dry bowl, add a pinch of salt. Beat until mixture is stiff and dry looking in appearance. Add the sugar and continue beating until thick and shiny. Finally beat in egg yolks until thick and trail of beaters remain. Sieve the flour, cocoa and baking powder together and gradually add to the egg mixture folding it in with a metal spoon.
- Transfer to the prepared tin and spread evenly. Bake for 10 minutes. Lay a sheet of greaseproof paper dusted with caster sugar on the work surface. When the cake is baked, turn it onto the paper, remove the lining paper, and trim the edges with a sharp knife. Roll the cake up from its longest edge with the paper inside. Leave to cool.
- Make the icing: Beat margarine, sugar and cocoa together until smooth.
- Whisk the cream until stiff. Remove the paper from the cake, spread the cream and carefully roll up again into a log.
- Cut a thick diagonal slice from one end of the log. Lift the log onto a plate, then arrange the slice on the side with the diagonal cut against the cake to make a “branch”.
- Spread the icing over the “log” and the “branch” (don’t cover the ends).
- Use a fork to mark the icing to give the effect of tree bark. Dust with icing sugar to resemble snow and decorate with holly leaves.
Note: for larger ‘log’ make 2 sponge rolls and use one as tree and the other as the branch.
