Chocolate, Orange and Macadamia Buche De Noel

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a jelly roll pan with wax paper. Beat eggs, yolk, and sugar at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Sift in flour and cocoa. Add orange peel; gently fold together. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until cake is springy to the touch and begins to pull from sides, about 7 minutes. Cut around edges to free cake. Turn out cake and paper to work surface and let cool.

Buttercreams:
Bring sugar and water to boil in heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling without stirring until thermometer registers 240°F (soft ball stage). Beat yolks until thickened. Add liqueur; gradually beat in hot syrup. Continue beating until cool, about 5 minutes. Add butter 3 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in orange juice concentrate. Transfer 3-1/4 cups buttercream to a small bowl; mix chocolate into remaining.

Assembly:
Invert cake onto sheet of plastic wrap. Carefully remove paper. Spread orange buttercream over cake, leaving 1-inch boarder on one long side. Sprinkle with macadamias. Roll up jelly roll fashion, starting with long side and rolling toward side with uncovered border. Trim to make ends even. Cut 2 inches off each end of roll at 45° angle. Transfer roll to platter using plastic as aid and arranging seamside down. Spread some chocolate buttercream on cut ends of 2-inch piece. With buttercream touching cake, place one piece atop cake off-center and the second on one long side to resemble tree stumps. Transfer 1 cup chocolate buttercream to pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch plain tip. Spread remaining buttercream over cake. Pipe buttercream in spirals erends of buche and stumps, starting at center of each. Run fork tinesthrough buttercream to simulate bark. Arrange holly and cranberries decoratively on buche. Garish with Meringue Mushrooms right before serving.

Meringue Mushrooms:
Preheat oven to 150°F. Line baking sheet with wax paper. Beat whites, and pinch of salt 1 minute to blend. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Add to whites in 3 additions, beating for 20 seconds after each. Continue beating until meringue is stiff and glossy. Transfer mixture to pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe about fifteen 1/2 to 1-inch domed rounds on prepared sheet for mushroom caps. Smooth top of each with damp finger.Pipe about fifteen 1/2 to 1 inch high peaked mounds on prepared sheets for stems. Bake until meringues are dry and beginning to color, about 1 3/4hours. Let cool completely. Using small knife, cut small hole in bottom of each mushroom cap. Dip peaked end of stem in sugar paste and push into hole in mushroom cap. Repeat with remaining caps. Dust mushrooms with cocoa powder before serving.

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