Christmas in March

Layers of Spongy Goodness

There was some out of season feasting at LCB today. The Basic Pastry students tried our hands at chocolate-pistachio yule logs and very successfully got chocolate ganache all over our hands, arms, hair, clothing, and, of course, mouths.

Chocolate-Pistachio Yule Log

This cake had several layers: there was the cake base made of eggs, pistachio paste, crushed almonds, flour, sugar, and egg whites; the cherry-based kirsch and sugar syrup poured over the cake; the chocolateganache between the layers made of cream and dark couverture chocolate; the chocolate fondant poured over the assembled cake; and finally, the ganache decoration.

Assembling the Layers

It was a fun recipe (except for hand-whipping the egg whites, which just strengthened our calluses). I really like the process of assembling desserts from various prepared parts-- it puts me in the same meditative state as assembling Ikea furniture in those rare instances when all the parts are really in the box like the instruction leaflet says they are.

What Happens When Your Ganache Separates

My little chocolate squiggles on each side and along the top of the cake were the weak part of my otherwise winning concoction. Here's what went wrong: I finished pouring the fondant (the smooth chocolate enveloping the surface) early and was enlisted to whip up a few extra batches of ganache for the class. While I was doing that, and then waiting for my turn to use it, the ganache hardened and separated, resulting in a lumpy garnish. Hence the crooked-looking squiggles. Ganache is a fickle ingredient, but my life is complete now that I know how to make it.

The Culprit: Chocolate Ganache

The fun part of my day came as I was leaving class with my yule log tucked safely into a long cardboard cake box and held up by my left hand as the right hand carried my heavy knife kit. As I passed through the kitchen door, my left sleeve caught on the doorknob, immobilizing my arm and sending my layered handiwork flying through the air. It was one of those moments when everything suddenly slows down and you can hear a voice coming from deep inside saying, "nnnnnnnnOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" The box landed squarely on the floor with a heavy "THUNK" and then opened a little. A very nice advanced student from the classroom next door came running over, opened the box, looked up at my panic-stricken face, and said, "It's okay-- it's still alive. We can save it." He brought my cake box into his classroom, showed me the damage (just some cracks in the smooth couverture icing), closed it tightly, and told me to take good care of my cake. Phew. That was a close one. The cake made it all the way home and is now sitting peacefully in my freezer, in binge-discouraging, individually-wrapped packages.

It will not survive my chocolate cravings until Christmas.