Christmas Bûche with a strong twist of hazelnut praline!

Steps

for the almond biscuit

• Preheat the oven at 180°C
• Add the egg whites in a bowl with a bit of salt
• Start beating the egg whites until they form soft peaks
• Add the sugar little-by-little once the egg whites have formed peaks and continue to beat after each addition
• Add the almond powder little-by-little on the egg whites and stir gently with a rubber spatula after each addition
• Spread the mix equally onto a tray covered with parchment paper and forming a rectangle
• Low the heat at the oven at 140°C
• Bake for 40’
• Let the biscuit cool almost completely

for the caramelized hazelnuts

• Place some parchment paper into a tray tolerant to heat
• Boil the water and the sugar into a small casserole
• Add the hazelnuts with the skin on when the temperature is 116°C
• Stir constantly with a wooden spoon at high heat for enough time to form a dark brown caramel
• Place the hazelnuts onto the parchment paper and let them cool
• Once the hazelnuts cold, and before starting the buttercream, cover them with parchment paper and press on them a rolling pin to crash them roughly
• Keep half for decorating the bûche on the exterior and the rest for the buttercream

for the buttercream

• Slice the butter in dices
• Start beating the egg whites into a bowl with a bit of salt
• Add the water and the sugar into a small casserole and heat-up until 121°C by constantly stirring
• When the syrup touches the 121°C remove it from heat
• Finish up quickly beating the egg whites into soft peaks form
• Pour the syrup slowly onto the egg whites and continue to beat
• Continue to beat until the bowl become mildly hot
• Add the butter little-by-little and sliced in dices and continue to beat after each addition until it is absorbed completely by the egg whites and form a cream
• Add the hazelnut praline slowly and stir gently with a rubber spatula
• Add the roughly crashed caramelized hazelnuts and stir gently with the rubber spatula

to bring everything together

• Spread the buttercream onto the biscuit in an even layer not very thick
• Roll the biscuit onto the cream starting from the top and rolling towards you ; if needed use a flat spatule to get the biscuit off the parchment paper and easy up the rolling
• Once the biscuit is all rolled-up and a bûche (small cylinder) is formed, place it gently in a rectangular tray and cover it with the rest of the butter cream
• Sprinkle all over the remaining hazelnuts
• Place the bûche into the refrigerator for 5’ to freeze the buttercream a little bit
• Serve and enjoy this marvel asap :) that is if you like the hazelnut praline!

Inspiration

A  recipe coming for the Great French Pastry Chef Philippe Conticini. 

(*) in France we can find ready-made hazelnut praline in stores, , if you cannot find it in your country, I found this recipe for you but please note that I have not yet made it :)