Opera log with olive oil
Ingredients
For
8
personnes
Joconde sponge:
- 150g icing sugar
- 150g of ground almonds
- 40g of T 55 flour
- 220g whole eggs
- 120g egg whites
- 20g caster sugar
- 20g of mild-flavoured olive oil
Soaking syrup:
- 20 cl of strong coffee
- 40g caster sugar
Chocolate ganache:
- 90g of 66% couverture chocolate
- 100g whipping cream (35% fat)
- Acacia honey
Coffee butter cream:
- 220g softened butter
- 130g icing sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 10g of coffee essence or a strong coffee
Icing:
- 80g of dark couverture chocolate
- 16g of mild-flavoured olive oil
- Gold leaf for decoration
Tip
For this Opera log, choose a subtly flavoured olive oil, made from olives picked when ripe and with a rather mild flavour, which will pair perfectly with this festive dessert. This dessert is ideal for the festive season… you could serve it alongside a log-style cheesecake made with two types of lemon and olive oil to offer a bit of variety!
Instructions
The day before
- Joconde sponge: preheat the oven to 230°C. In the bowl of a food processor, beat the whole eggs, icing sugar, ground almonds and sifted flour for about 10–12 minutes. The mixture should form ribbons. Set aside. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, gradually adding the sugar as soon as they start to foam. Take 1/4 of the egg, flour and ground almond mixture, stir in the olive oil, then mix. Gently fold in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites, then the rest of the whites without over-mixing, to achieve a smooth batter.
- Spread a layer 3 to 4 mm thick onto a baking tray lined with buttered baking paper or a silicone mat. Bake for 6–7 minutes. The biscuit should be just firm but still soft, and not too brown.
Soaking syrup
- Dissolve the sugar in the hot coffee.
Chocolate ganache:
- Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. Heat the cream and honey until just below the boiling point. Pour over the chocolate in three stages to create an emulsion, cover with cling film, ensuring it touches the surface, and set aside at room temperature.
Buttercream
- Whisk the icing sugar and butter until the mixture is smooth. Add the coffee essence and the eggs, then whisk again. Chill for 2 hours.
- Assembly: Cut your Joconde sponge into 3 rectangles of the desired log size (use the offcuts for decoration). Soak one side of the first layer of sponge, spread a layer of buttercream over it, then a layer of ganache. Repeat this process once. Place the final Joconde sponge on top, cover it with a thin layer of buttercream, then chill in the fridge for several hours (or overnight).
D-Day
- Prepare the icing: melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, add the olive oil and mix well. Spread evenly over the Yule log. Decorate before serving.
Tip
For this Opera log, choose a subtly flavoured olive oil, made from olives picked when ripe and with a rather mild flavour, which will pair perfectly with this festive dessert. This dessert is ideal for the festive season… you could serve it alongside a log-style cheesecake made with two types of lemon and olive oil to offer a bit of variety!
We recommend...
For this recipe, choose a PDO huile d'olive de Nyons (subtle taste) for its notes of dried fruit and buttery flavour, possibly accompanied by hints of fresh hazelnuts and/or freshly cut grass.
Don’t have any? Then choose a PDO huile d'olive de Nice!
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