Holiday Log with Maple Syrup and Candied Nuts

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup of maple sugar or maple syrup
• 1/3 cup of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2/3 cup of flour
• 1 cup of 35% cream
• 1/3 cup of maple sugar or maple syrup
• 1/3 cup of chestnut purée or chestnut cream
• 1 vanilla pod, split open and deseeded* or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Other maple products (butter, sugar, chips, taffy, mini candy, etc.) Candied nuts (see recipe below)
• *Use only the seeds and keep the pod for another recipe.

MAPLE CANDIED NUTS

• 1/3 cup of maple syrup
• 1 cup of chopped nuts of choice

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease and flour a 25cm x 45cm (10" x 18") cookie sheet. Beat all the egg yolks with the maple sugar. Gently stir in the melted butter. Sift the flour in.
2. Beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold in to the egg yolk mixture. Do not over stir. Spread the batter on the baking sheet and bake in the middle of the oven rack for 10 to 12 minutes until the cake is slightly golden in colour. Flip the cake onto a damp cloth and roll up. Let cool.
3. Whip the cream and sweeten with your choice of maple product (sugar or syrup). Keep half of this mixture aside for the glaze. Take the other half and add to it the chestnut purée (or cream) and vanilla.
4. Unroll the cooled cake. If you wish, you may baste it with maple syrup. Spread the chestnut cream over the cake and top with candied nuts.
5. Roll the cake up lengthwise. Glaze with the whipped maple cream and decorate with candied nuts and your choice of maple products (chips, mini candy, etc.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.

MAPLE CANDIED NUTS

1. Heat the nuts on low heat in a small frying pan, to bring out their flavour and crunch.
2. Remove from heat and sprinkle with maple syrup. Return to heat and continue cooking until the sugar crystallizes and sticks to the nuts.
3. BE CAREFUL! At this point, the nuts will be very hot! Do not touch! Quickly transfer the nuts onto a cooling plate. (To make it easier to clean the pan, boil hot water in it)
4. *You can prepare the nuts a few days ahead. Keep them in a fresh and dry place.