Pear-Chestnut Yule Log

Steps

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1. 1
   Peel, core, and chop the pears. Mix the larger pear chunks with half the sugar and lemon juice, then heat to make a puree. Add vanilla to the puree, then incorporate the remaining sugar combined with pectin. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes.
   ≈0:24
2. 2
   Meanwhile, sauté the remaining pear pieces in oil and sugar until golden brown. Flambé with dark rum or whiskey (or skip if you prefer no alcohol), then add the flambéed pears to the puree and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin.
   ≈0:55
3. 3
   Prepare the pear insert in cylindrical form using either a silicone mold or a PVC tube lined with acetate sheets. Seal and freeze overnight. For the PVC tube method, gently warm with a hair dryer and push out the insert, remove the acetate liner, and trim to the appropriate length for your final mold. Keep frozen until needed.
   ≈1:18
4. 4
   Make the chestnut sponge cake: beat room-temperature chestnut cream spread with softened butter and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs and sifted flour and baking powder, mixing until homogenized. Spread the mixture on a prepared sheet tray, top with candied chestnut pieces, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes. Cool and cut into the desired shapes according to your yule log mold size.
   ≈2:09
5. 5
   Prepare the chestnut pastry crust: if chestnut flour is unavailable, grind roasted chestnuts in a food mill. Mix with powdered sugar, softened butter, cornstarch, and egg yolk—or use classic sugar dough if preferred. Spread the pastry between two sheets of parchment paper to an even thickness of 3 mm, freeze, then cut into desired shapes.
   ≈2:46
6. 6
   Make the chestnut mousse: whip heavy cream with vanilla in a cold mixing bowl to soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a large bowl. Add room-temperature chestnut cream spread to the original mixing bowl. Microwave the pre-soaked gelatin for 10 seconds to melt it, then mix with hot rum and add to the chestnut cream. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the chestnut mixture with brisk whisking, then fold the chestnut mixture into the remaining whipped cream with gentle turns.
   ≈3:40
7. 7
   Assemble the yule log: with a silicone mold, fill halfway with chestnut mousse and coat the sides. Place the frozen pear insert upright in the center and press gently. Add more mousse, then layer the chestnut sponge cake and pastry crust. If the layers extend above the mold, smooth mousse around the edges and freeze overnight—it will be hidden once glazed.
   ≈5:12
8. 8
   Optional: make decorative mushrooms from leftover chestnut mousse and chocolate truffles. Fill small hemisphere molds with mousse and freeze, then glaze the caps with a one-to-one mixture of melted cocoa butter and chocolate. Add chocolate truffle or marzipan stems when ready.
   ≈6:22
9. 9
   Make the white chocolate glaze: cook water, sugar, and corn syrup together to 217°F (103°C), remove from heat. Add condensed milk, softened gelatin, and white chocolate, mix well, and sieve. Refrigerate at least one night before using. Reheat the glaze to 100°F (38°C) before pouring over the frozen cake.
   ≈7:09