My family absolutely love a delicious chocolate log. There is something gorgeously retro about them and it makes a beautiful centre piece for any Christmas spread. For the filling I spread a layer of cherry jam followed by Greek yogurt combined with a little icing sugar. It made a lovely change, but whipped double cream would work beautifully too.
INGREDIENTS
SPONGE
3 eggs
85g caster sugar
75g plain flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
FILLING
1 tablespoon cherry jam
1 large tub of Greek yogurt
3-4 tablespoons icing sugar
ICING
50g butter
140g dark chocolate
1 tablespoon golden syrup
248ml double cream
200g icing sugar
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (180 degrees fan)
Beat the eggs and sugar together using an electric whisk. Keep going until it’s thick and fluffy. Sieve the dry ingredients together into the egg/sugar mixture and fold in carefully trying not to lose any air.
Line a 23 x 32 Swiss roll tin with parchment paper. Pour in the mixture and spread into the corners and sides by tilting with your hands. Into the oven for 10 minutes. Place another piece of parchment paper over the sponge and flip over. Peel the parchment paper off and roll into a tight roll and allow to cool completely. It’s important to do this while hot.
Mix the yogurt and icing sugar together and keep cool.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over simmering water. Remove from the heat and add 4/5 tablespoons of the cream into the chocolate. Beat in 200g of the icing sugar until smooth. Stir in the rest of the cream until it’s the right consistency.
Unwrap the Swiss roll and spread the jam followed by the filling on to the rectangle, you may not need it all.
Roll back up into a log. Slice a 1/4 off at an angle and place as a branch on the log. Spread with the icing, keeping the ends free from icing. With a fork draw texture to look like bark. Dust with icing sugar