Ricotta Christmas Log

To prepare the ricotta Christmas log, start with the sponge cake: in a bowl, pour the egg whites and sugar 1, whisk with an electric whisk 2, the mixture should become voluminous but not too much 3, it must remain soft and creamy.

Beat the egg yolks with a fork 4, then add them to the egg whites 5, mixing gently by hand with a spatula 6.

Add the 00 flour, bitter cocoa 7 and sifted baking powder 8, mix from the bottom up to incorporate the ingredients without disassembling the mixture. Finally, pour in the oil 9.

Always mix gently with the spatula to obtain a homogeneous dough 10. Brush a classic baking sheet (about 45x37 cm) with oil and stick a sheet of baking paper cut to size to the base 11. Pour the dough into the pan, level it with a spatula 12 and bake in a preheated static oven at 190°C for about 18-19 minutes, checking the cooking according to your oven, in the middle rack. Be careful not to overcook, otherwise the pasta will be too dry and difficult to roll.

Once cooked 13, immediately unmold the pasta by turning it over on another baking sheet. Remove the baking paper used for cooking 14 and cover it with transparent film in contact 15. The film will retain the moisture, keeping the pasta soft and elastic. Let it cool completely, always covered with film.

Drain the ricotta cheese in a colander 16, transfer it to a bowl 17 and add the powdered sugar 18.

Add the chocolate chips 19 and candied orange 20, mix and set aside 21.

Place the sponge cake on the work surface and remove any crust on the surface that will simply detach with your hands. Pour the cream on the pasta 22 and spread it evenly with a spatula 23. Roll up the pasta from the longest side 24.

Place the roll on a baking sheet or a cutting board lined with baking paper 25, cover it with contact film 26 and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours. In the meantime, take care of the icing: in a bowl, pour the mascarpone, fresh cream and powdered sugar 27.

Whisk with an electric whisk 28. When the mixture is almost whipped, but not completely, add the hazelnut paste 29 and mix gently by hand with a spatula, making movements from the bottom up to keep the mixture soft 30.

Transfer the icing into a piping bag with a flat and ridged nozzle 31. Take the roll, slightly cut the ends to level them and eliminate the irregular sides. Cut the roll diagonally, taking about a third 32, and arrange the two parts on the serving dish in the classic shape of the log 33.

Cover the entire surface of the log with the icing, tracing stripes from one end to the other 34. Sprinkle the surface with golden cocoa 35 using a sieve. Finally, decorate with sugar stars, sprigs of currants and rosemary. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least another hour before serving the ricotta Christmas log.