Caramel and chocolate mousse yule log

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

A few hours before making the log, prepare the caramel cream.

Heat 125 g of sugar in a heavy-based pan. When it starts to colour, stir it with a wooden spatula and add 25 cl of single cream.

Carry on stirring: the sugar, which will have hardened again, gradually melts. After about ten minutes, the caramel cream is ready.

Let it cool and put it in a bowl in the fridge

Make the sponge: separate the 4 whites from the yolks.

Whisk the 4 yolks with 80 g of sugar, then pour in the amaretto, then the flour all at once, and keep beating.

Whisk the 4 whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them into the previous mixture.

Spread the mixture in a rectangular tin lined with buttered baking parchment.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Two or three minutes before the sponge is done, dip a clean tea towel in cold water. Wring it out and spread it on your worktop.

When the sponge is cooked, turn it out onto the tea towel and roll it up on itself with the towel. Remove the towel, making sure the sponge stays slightly rolled.

Let it cool before spreading the caramel cream over the whole sponge (otherwise the cream will turn a little runny again).

Roll up the log, taking care to keep it tight so there are no gaps when you serve it.

Make the chocolate mousse.

In a bowl, melt the dark chocolate (80% for me) in the microwave for 4 minutes at 450 W. Let it cool.

Whisk the 4 whites to stiff peaks. As they start to firm up nicely, add a tablespoon of sugar.

Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate and spread the mousse over the sponge (using a fork to give the log a ridged, bark-like look).

Wait a few hours, or even until the next day, before serving.