Modern makeover

Spiced Jasmine Tea and Milk Chocolate Bûche de Noël

The pliable sponge cake is less tricky to roll without cracking and eliminates the need to roll hot out of the oven to maintain “muscle memory” and re-roll when filling as is needed with the classic genoise. The addition of a soaking syrup helps to keep the cake moist and easy to roll, while adding flavour. Instead of classic buttercream, a salted milk chocolate ganache does double duty as the filling and icing, making easier to cut cleanly and thick enough to create a rough-looking “bark.” The cookie dirt is optional but adds texture, crunch and a little whimsy along with the matcha and cocoa dust to finish the woodland look. As much as I have adapted this, the one tradition that cannot be replaced, in my opinion, are the meringue mushrooms. In my mind the tiny mushrooms are what makes the fantasy forestscape and it would simply not be its magical self without it. Meringue mushrooms: 2 large egg whites, at room temperature

¼ tsp (1.25 mL) cream of tartar

½ cup (125 mL) sugar ¼ cup (60 mL) dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

¼ cup (60 mL) cocoa powder Whip the whites and tartar using a mixer with the whisk attachment, until frothy. Slowly add the sugar while whisking and continue until the whites are at a stiff peak. Scoop the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a No. 3 piping tip and pipe the meringue onto a sheet tray lined with parchment into mushroom caps and stems. To pipe a cap, hold the piping tip upright, ½ inch above the parch- ment. Squeeze the bag and create a circle. For the stems, hold the tip 1 inch above the parchment and squeeze to create a pillar of meringue. Bake in a preheated 200 F (95 C) for 45 mins to one hour or until the meringues are dry. Let cool on the sheet pan. Gently melt chocolate in a microwave and dip the top of each stem in the melted chocolate. Top with a cap and allow to cool and harden. Dust the caps with cocoa powder to give a mushroom texture.

Makes about 2 dozen mushrooms Cocoa dirt 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour 1/3 cup (80 mL) light brown sugar, packed ¼ cup (60 mL) dark cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona

½ tsp (2.5 mL) fine sea salt 5½ tbsp (80 mL) cool unsalted butter, cut into small pieces Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and mix the ingredients with your fingers until the mixture becomes like soil in texture. Chill the soil for at least two hours or for up to two days in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Spread the soil out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and break up any large clumps. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, tossing the streusel once. Let the crumbs rest on the baking sheet until completely cool. They can be refrigerated or frozen until ready to use.

Makes about 2 cups Spiced jasmine syrup ¾ cup (180 mL) water 2 tbsp (30 mL) high-grade jasmine tea, ground in a spice grinder

1 tbsp (15 mL) caraway seeds, whole 2 tsp (10 mL) fennel seeds, whole

½ tsp (2.5 mL) fine sea salt 1 vanilla bean, scraped of its seeds 1 cup (250 mL) sugar Place all the ingredients, except for the sugar, into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat and cover for 15 to 20 minutes to steep. Add the sugar and bring to a boil again. Once all the sugar is dissolved, pour into a heatproof container and let sit at room temperature until ready to use. Strain before brushing on the cake.

Makes about 1½ cups (375 mL) Sponge cake 5 tbsp (75 mL) high-grade jasmine tea, ground in a spice grinder 1 cup (250 mL) whole milk 7 tbsp (105 mL) butter 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour 2 eggs 9 egg yolks 8 egg whites

½ cup (125 mL) sugar Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C) and line two half sheet pans (13” by 18”) with parchment. Place 3 tbsp (45 mL) of ground jasmine tea and the milk into a large saucepan and bring to just under a boil. Turn off the heat and let it steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain out the tea leaves and place the steeped milk back in the pot. Add the butter and bring to just under a boil. Turn the heat to medium and add the flour, mix vigorously and cook the mixture until the dough becomes a smooth ball. Take the pan off the heat and let cool until warm to the touch. Add the two eggs and yolks one by one to the dough, mixing until the dough becomes a thick paste. Whisk whites and sugar until stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the dough in three additions and divide the dough between the sheet pans. Spread the dough to the edges of the pan using an offset spatula and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cake is springy to the touch in the middle. Cool in the pan and set aside for up to one day covered.

Makes 2 cakes Milk chocolate ganache 1 cup (250 mL) chopped milk chocolate, preferably Valrhona Jivara 2/3 cups (160 mL) whipping cream ¼ tsp (1 mL) fine sea salt Place chocolate and salt in a bowl. Heat cream until just under a boil and pour over chocolate. Let sit for five minutes and stir in concentric circles to create a smooth emulsion. Allow to cool for more than two hours until thick and spreadable.

Makes about 1½ cups (375 mL) To assemble ¼ cup (60 mL) cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona ¼ cup (60 mL) matcha powder Cut the edges off the sponge cakes and peel off the parchment. Brush liberally with the syrup and allow to soak. Spread each sponge with a thin layer of ganache and roll each tightly to form a log, starting with the short end. Spread the ganache on top of each in large streaks resembling bark. Dust with cocoa powder and matcha to resemble a tree. Decorate with meringue mushrooms and serve at room temperature. Can be made one day in advance and kept at room temperature.

Makes two 10-inch (25 cm) cakes