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1
Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk over gently simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water) until light and thick and mix leaves a ribbon trail when whisk is lifted out.
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2
Gently fold in the flour and cocoa using a spatula and finally drizzle in the melted margarine and fold in.
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3
Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 32 x 20cm (13 x 8 inches) Swiss roll tin and gently spread evenly.
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4
Bake in preheated oven 200C, 190C fan, Gas mark 6 for 10 - 12 minutes until springy to the touch and slightly shrinking from the sides.
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5
Remove from oven and turn out onto a sheet of baking parchment sprinkled with sugar.
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6
Trim edges and roll up with the parchment paper inside.
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7
Leave to cool.
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8
Place ingredients for icing in a bowl and beat together until smooth.
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9
Gently unroll Swiss roll and spread half the icing over.
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10
Re-roll without the greaseproof paper, then cover the surface with remaining icing.
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11
Mark with a fork to resemble a log.
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12
For the praline, place the ingredients in a heavy based pan and place over a gentle heat.
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13
Shake the pan at intervals until the sugar melts and turns a golden caramel colour.
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14
Turn out onto parchment paper and leave to cool.
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15
Use a rolling pin to break into smaller pieces and use to scatter over the log.
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16
Lightly dust with icing sugar.
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17
Decorate with marzipan holly leaves and berries if liked.
