Last time I made a Bûche de Noël was 45 or so years ago, when I made a massive, multi-course extended family Christmas feast - I began my French cooking life in baking and pastry, actually, as a young teen, though quickly went all in for the 400 or so techniques of classic French cuisine, savory and sweet. I enjoy pastry work but prefer savory, I miss the exactness of the sweet side, and so am picking up more and more pastry again.
After 5 unsatisfactory makes in a row - my genoise wasn't where I wanted it - this is ready to enjoy. It's a standard jelly roll genoise ("biscuit roulé"), , saturated with a golden rum syrup; I made two buttercreams, coffee and chocolate, and streaked them in the same pastry bag for an uneven bark effect. Missing is an inside layered with crème pâtissière enriched and stiffened with whipped cream, meringue "mushrooms" and shaved chocolate bark as well.
After 5 unsatisfactory makes in a row - my genoise wasn't where I wanted it - this is ready to enjoy. It's a standard jelly roll genoise ("biscuit roulé"), , saturated with a golden rum syrup; I made two buttercreams, coffee and chocolate, and streaked them in the same pastry bag for an uneven bark effect. Missing is an inside layered with crème pâtissière enriched and stiffened with whipped cream, meringue "mushrooms" and shaved chocolate bark as well.
