Amaretti white chocolate brûléed meringue yule log

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 25cm x 38cm baking tray and line it with non-stick baking paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder and almond flour three times and set aside. Place 5 eggs and 100g of caster sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on high speed for 10 minutes or until pale, thick and tripled in volume. Sift half the flour mixture over the egg mixture and, using a metal spoon, gently fold to combine. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture. Melt the butter and add it to the mixture, gently folding to combine. Add 1 tbsp of almond extract and gently fold in.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tray and gently smooth the top with a palette knife. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until just cooked and lightly golden on the edges. While the cake is baking, place a large piece of non-stick baking paper on the kitchen counter and sprinkle evenly with 65g of caster sugar.

Turn the cake out onto the sugared paper and remove the paper used to line the bottom of the cake. Using the sugared paper and starting from one of the short sides, gently roll up the cake. Cover with a tea towel and set aside, seam-side down, to cool completely.

To make the ganache, roughly chop the chocolate and place it in a large bowl. Heat the cream in a small pot over a medium heat until just simmering. Add the cream to the chocolate. Stir once to remove any chocolate from the base of the bowl and set aside for 2 minutes. Stir the ganache gently until just combined. Refrigerate until just cool. Add 1 tsp of almond extract and whisk until soft peaks form.

Carefully unroll the cake. Spread the white chocolate ganache across the surface of the cake. Roll up the cake again.

To make the Swiss meringue, combine the whites of 3 eggs and 150g caster sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Fill a saucepan with a few centimetres of water and heat to a gentle simmer. Set the mixer bowl over the simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir the mixture gently until the egg whites are very warm to the touch and the sugar has dissolved, approx. 4 minutes. This can be tested by dipping a finger into the mixture and rubbing it between your fingers; the mixture should no longer have any grains of sugar in it and should be warm to the touch.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the meringue on a medium-low speed until foamy, approx. 2 minutes. Increase the speed until the meringue forms stiff peaks and the bowl is cool to the touch. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 1 minute.

Place the meringue in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe onto the Yule log lengthways to create stripes. Using a blow torch, toast the meringue.

Serve immediately.