Traditional recipe

Normandy Yule Log

Local products in the spotlight

Yule Log “à la Normande” : gourmet tradition on your plate for the festive season!

December is finally here, and with it the festive spirit settles into our homes. It’s the perfect time to prepare the sweets that will delight your loved ones. Among them, the Yule log holds a special place, symbolizing both tradition and indulgence. For this special occasion, we’d like to offer you a revisited Normandy-style version of this essential dessert, made with high-quality local produce.

Let yourself be tempted by our recipe, in which caramel, mousse and apples combine to perfection for an irresistible result.

The origins of the Yule log

Before it became a dessert, the “Yule log” was literally a classic log. In medieval Europe, it was customary on Christmas Eve to select a large log from a tree (sometimes even a stump), bless it, decorate it with ribbons and then burn it in the hearth for as long as possible. This pagan ritual was intended to celebrate the winter solstice, and was supposed to bring prosperity and protection to the home for the coming year. When coal-burning stoves arrived more systematically in homes in the 19th century, the great old fireplaces gradually disappeared, and the tradition of burning a log gradually came to an end. The idea of an edible “log” was born to replace wood. The creation of the gourmet Yule log is attributed to 19th-century French pastry chefs, but its exact origin is not fully confirmed. The first Yule logs were simple rolled cakes filled with buttercream and shaped to resemble a wooden log. Over the years, the recipe has evolved enormously, giving way to many different shapes and flavors.

Recipe for Bûche à la Normande

Ingredients

For the sponge cake :

100g flour
4 eggs
25g butter
100g sugar

Ingredients

For the cream :

40 g sugar
1 vanilla pod
20 g flour
2 egg yolks
200 ml milk

Ingredients

For the garnish :

1 lemon
3 apples
100 g sugar
80 g butter

Preparing the sponge cake:

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture whitens.
Add the flour and mix, followed by the melted butter.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
Gently add the egg whites to the first mixture
Spread the mixture on a baking sheet to create a flat, even surface
Bake for 10 minutes at 180°.
Remove from the oven onto a damp cloth and roll into a log. Leave to cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

To prepare the cream :

Mix the milk with the vanilla pod and 20g sugar. Bring milk to the boil.
Whisk the yolks with the remaining 20g sugar. Then add the flour.
Add a little of the boiling milk to the previously whipped mixture and continue mixing.
Return everything to the pan with the remaining milk and whisk over heat until the cream thickens and comes away from the pan.
Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool

Topping:

Peel the apples and sprinkle with a little lemon juice to prevent darkening. Cut into thin strips.
Fry the apple strips in a little butter and sprinkle with a little sugar to obtain a light caramel.
Leave to cool

Final assembly:

Unroll the cake remaining in the tea towel.
Mix 2 tablespoons of calvados with 4 tablespoons of water and soak the cake.
Place a thin layer of apples on the cake, followed by a layer of cream.
Roll up the cookie to form the log
Cover the log with the remaining apple slices and chill for 1-2 hours.