By Lorraine Gibson.
Need to whip up a quick festive dessert?
My go-to option is my old-school yule log. There’s no baking required, so it’s perfect for when you’re busy – and at this time of year, who isn’t? It’s decadent, indulgent and booze-infused, just like the perfect Christmas.
You’ll need two bowls, a whish and a long, flat plate or board. Take a bowl and mix together the wine, sugar and half the brandy. Gradually whisk in the cream until it looks like fluffy, snowy peaks. Pour the remaining brandy into a separate bowl and add the orange juice. Mix. This is your biscuit dip.
Next, the log. Use a small amount of the whipped cream for this. The rest is to smother it like snow.
Take your plate/board and run a smear of cream along the centre, this is the ‘glue’ that helps your log stay put. Dunk a biscuit, very briefly or it will disintegrate, into the brandy and orange mixture, add a smear of cream to one side and place (cream-side up) at the start of the ‘glue’ strip. Take another biscuit and repeat the process, sandwiching it with the first, then take another and dip, cream and repeat to build an upright tower. Lower your ‘tower’ on its side on to the ‘glued’ plate, then continue to add more soaked and creamed biscuits all along until you have the right length log – or are out of biscuits!
Log built, take the remaining cream and smother the entire thing, roughing it up a bit to give a bark-like appearance. Pop in an airtight tub and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours/overnight. By then the brandy-soaked gingernuts will have turned to a moist sponge and the cream will have set.
Add a garnish of chocolate curls, raspberries, a simple sprig of holly, or whatever floats your boat. To serve, cut on a slant for a lovely stripy pattern.
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