Bûche du Noël

Ingredients

Roulade

• 6oz semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 6 eggs, separated
• 6oz caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sieved, plus ¼ cup extra to dust

Ganache

• 1 ¼ Cups heavy cream
• 10.5 oz semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces

Filling

• 2 tbsp scotch whisky
• 2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

• Powdered sugar, to dust

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 350F/180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease a 13 x 9in (33 x 23cm) Swiss roll tin and line with non-stick baking paper.
2. 2
   To melt the chocolate, place the chocolate pieces for the roulade in a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water until melted, making sure the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Allow to cool slightly until warm but still runny.
3. 3
   Whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl on high speed until stiff but not dry.
4. 4
   In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until light, thick and creamy. Add the melted chocolate and gently stir until blended. Stir two large spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to slacken it, mix gently, then fold in the remaining egg whites. Finally, fold in the sifted cocoa.
5. 5
   Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and gently level the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until risen and firm in the center. Remove from the oven, leave in the tin (expect the roulade to dip and crack a little) and set aside until cold.