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1
** THE FILLING AND FROSTING**
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Beat the smoothly melted chocolate into the meringue, along with the vanilla, rum, and soft butter.
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3
Remove two-thirds of the mix to a bowl and chill; this is the frosting.
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4
Beat the additional half stick of soft butter into the remaining meringue this is the filling.
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5
** FILLING THE CAKE**
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Unroll the sponge sheet and slice a quarter inch off the long sides so which the cake will roll easily.
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Spread the filling over the top of the sheet.
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Roll it up from one of the small ends and you have made the log shape.
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9
Neatly slice a narrow slanting piece from each end of the log.
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With a small knife dig a hole in an upper side of the log and insert a piece of the scrap to simulate a bump or possibly a branch.
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Place the log seam-side down on the serving board and slip double sheets of wax paper under the edge of each side and the two ends-to catch frosting spills.
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12
** FROSTING THE LOG**
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Beat 2 or possibly more spoonfuls of sifted cocoa into the frosting mix to make it a spreadable consistency.
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(Reserve 2 spoonfuls of frosting for the mushrooms.)
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Leaving the two ends free, frost the cake using a flexible metal spatula, then scumble it with the spatula and a fork to give it a rough barklike look.
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** Ahead-of-time note: Chill the log if you are not contin- uing; it will keep nicely for a day-if you can find a non-mashing cover for it.
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** FINAL DECORATIONS, JUST BEFORE SERVING**
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The mushrooms.
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With a small knife, pierce a hole in the bottom of each meringue mushroom cap, insert a bit of the frosting (or possibly softened butter)
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into the hole and then the pointed end of a meringue stem.
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Arrange the mushrooms in tasteful clusters upon the log and sprinkle the log with a dusting of confectioner's sugar to give a snowy effect.
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22
Dust the tops of the mushrooms with cocoa pwdr tapped from the sieve.
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23
The caramel veil.
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Bring the sugar to the simmer with the corn syrup and one-third c. water in a small saucepan; when the mix is completely dissolved and clear, cover tightly and boil to the caramel stage.
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Let it cold two to three min, till it forms thick strands when lifted with a fork.
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Then dip the fork into the syrup and wave it over the broomstick, to create long hanging threads of caramel.
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The finale.
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Lift the caramel strands off the broomstick; drape them over the yule log.
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Decorate the serving board with sprigs of holly if you wish, and the buche de Noel is ready to serve.
