This pear biscoff Christmas log (or bûche de Noël) is an elegant French dessert for the holidays. It features a light and airy pear mousse, a fruity center, and a crispy biscoff bottom with a dacquoise. You’ll want to serve it with a bubbly wine!
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As you may know, bûche de Noël is the traditional French dessert for Christmas. The most famous one is without doubt the so-called yule log, consisting of a cake roll shape. In France however, most bakeries offer a variation consisting of an entremet prepared in a log mold with insert. Made this way, the bûche de Noël is very fancy!
This version features a cloudy pear mousse with a pear jelly insert, a crispy biscoff bottom and another bottom consisting of a dacquoise. The recipe itself is advanced and needs time, because of the chilling time between each step to allow the mixtures to set. But wait for the final result and you’ll feel like you’re eating a pastry from a refined French bakery.
Why this Pear Biscoff Christmas Log is worth the effort:
- An elegant Christmas dessert that looks like it comes from a fancy French bakery
- An incredible flavor combination (pear, vanilla, biscoff) and a fantastic contrast of 4 different textures (a creamy pear mousse, a fruity jelly center, a crispy biscoff, and a spongy dacquoise)
- The recipe is advanced BUT 1) you will be SO proud of yourself, 2) Christmas is only once a year! 3) and wait to see how much you’ll impress your guests!
The baking equipment you need
Obviously you need a special baking equipment for this recipe. I used this 30 x 18.5 x 3 cm yule log mold with insert. Please be aware that the dimensions are in centimeters. I recommend a similar size that allows you to use up all of your ingredients (I was left with just a little bit of pear mousse, which you can use to pipe onto the bûche for decoration).
A Christmas dessert divided in 4 parts
Any dessert using a log mold with insert involves several preparations, usually between 3 or 4 preparations: the outer one, the insert in the center, and the base. Find below the 4 components of this pear-biscoff Christmas log.
Pear mousse. It’s what makes the bûche light, airy, with a creamy texture. The pear mousse consists in mixed pears, sugar, fresh vanilla bean, whipped whipping cream and gelatin to ensure the mousse holds.
Pear jelly insert. The perfect fruity center! Mixed pear, sugar, lemon juice and gelatin are all you need to make this easy pear jelly. I always recommend to start the recipe with the pear jelly as it needs to be freezed for 3 full hours before using.
Biscoff base. This is the crispy part of the bûche! We used biscoff spread, milk chocolate and the so-called French biscuit Gavottes, that give an irresitible crispy texture. If you can’t find any, you can replace them with waffle cones.
Dacquoise. A spongy bottom, with whipped egg whites, almond flour, flour, confectioners’ sugar and sugar.
How to assemble this pear biscoff Christmas Log?
Before you start assembling, make sure you have all your preparations ready and that the pear insert stayed for at least 3 hours in the freezer.
- Pour two thirds of the pear mousse to the log mold, allowing to go up to the top on the sides. Now place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Gently unmold the pear insert and add it to the log mold over the mousse.
- Cover with the remaining pear mousse, almost up to the top, and flatten it out with a small spatula.
- Cut the biscoff strip to the size of the log mold (or slightly smaller), and add it on top of the pear mousse, pressing slightly.
- Cut the dacquoise to the size of the log mold and add it on top of the biscoff.
Now, place in the freezer for 8 hours or overnight. Thaw in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours before serving.
Pro tip: start ahead of time!
Skip the unnecessary stress and get yourself organized! You need about 2 days to make this recipe. Please, make yourself a favor and do not rush the process for best results. Be reassured: each preparation is relatively simple and quick to prepare. However, most of them require a mandatory chilling time, which adds up. This is why I recommend starting 2 to 3 days in advance (or even earlier) to give you plenty of time to prepare the different parts of the recipe.
Make ahead instructions
Start the recipe 2 to 3 days in advance. Here’s how to proceed with each preparation:
- 3 days in advance (or more). You can prepare the pear insert 3 days before making the recipe and freeze.
- 2 to 3 days in advance. Make the pear-vanilla mousse, and store in a sealed piping bag in the refrigerator (the use of a piping bag helps to keep its texture intact). You can also make the biscoff mixture and keep it in the refrigerator, covering with plastic wrap when set, so that it keeps its flavors intact.
- The day before. Prepare the dacquoise and assemble the recipe: the pear mousse, the pear insert, the biscoff, the dacquoise. Now place in the freezer 8 hours or ideally overnight.
- The day of serving. Transfer the bûche to the refrigerator and allow to thaw for 4 to 6 hours before slicing.
Start a month (or two) in advance! Good news: you can prepare this pear biscoff Christmas Log a month or two in advance, and keep it in the freezer until the day before serving. At this point, transfer it into the refrigerator to slowly thaw until ready to serve the next day.
Other French Christmas yule logs:
- Chocolate Orange Yule Log
- Chocolate Chestnut Yule Log
- Ferrero Rocher Cake Roll
- Lemon Meringue Roulade
- Tropical Fruit Cake Roll
Pear Biscoff Christmas Log
- Prep Time: 6 hours
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: French
This pear biscoff Christmas log (or bûche de Noël) is an elegant French dessert for the holidays. It features a light and airy pear mousse, a fruity center, and a crispy biscoff bottom with a dacquoise.
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Ingredients
Important note. All the ingredients of this pear biscoff Christmas log are written in grams for more precision. Please do not try to convert in cups or ounces.
Pear insert:
- 300g pear puree (mixed pears)*
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 sheets of gelatin
Dacquoise (biscuit):
- 3 egg whites (about 90g)
- 30g sugar
- 75g confectioners’ sugar
- 30g all-purpose flour
- 70g almond powder
Biscoff base:
- 100g Speculoos spread
- 50g milk chocolate
- 60g Gavottes (with chocolate is fine too)**
Pear mousse:
- 300g pear puree (mixed pears)*
- 80g sugar
- 1 vanilla bean (seeds)
- 4 sheets of gelatin
- 300g whipping cream
Instructions
First step: the pear insert.
- Soften the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, and drain. In a saucepan, heat the pear puree, sugar, allspice (if using), and lemon juice. Add the drained gelatin to the saucepan off the heat. Mix well.
- Pour the pear insert into the insert mold of your log mold and place in the freezer for 3 hours.
Second step: the dacquoise (biscuit).
- Preheat the oven at 350°F (180°C).
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a food processor equipped with the whisk, and beat on medium speed. When the whites start to foam but are not firm yet, gradually pour the sugar while still beating. Keep beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir in the confectioners’ sugar, flour and almond flour, using a rubber spatula.
- Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making it slightly larger than the dimensions of the mold, and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Let cool slightly, then invert onto a cutting board and cut to the dimensions of your mold.
Third step: the biscoff base.
- Place the biscoff spread with the milk chocolate in a bowl and melt in the microwave. Using a rolling pin or a small food processor, pulse the Gavottes until crumbled. Add them to the biscoff mixture, and stir.
- Spread onto a baking sheet into a strip slightly larger than the yule mold. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then, re-size to the exact size of the yule mold (using a ruler and a large sharp knife).
Fourth setp: the pear mousse.
- Soften the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, and drain. In a saucepan, heat the pear puree, sugar and vanilla. Add the gelatin sheets to the saucepan off the heat. Mix and leave to cool at room temperature.
- Once the pear puree has cooled, whip the very cold whipping cream into whipped cream, using a hand mixer. Gradually add the whipped cream to the pear puree and stir gently, until fully incorporated.
Assembing the bûche.
- Pour about two thirds of the pear mousse into the log mold, making sure it covers the sides of the mold, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Unmold the log insert and place it carefully into the pear mousse. Cover with the remaining pear mousse, add the biscoff strip and the dacquoise. Place the log in the freezer for at least 7 hours or ideally overnight.
- Invert the Christmas log onto serving dish, and thaw in the refrigerator for 6 hours before serving. Decorate with crushed Speculoos.
Notes
Which log mold should I use? I used this 30 x 18.5 x 3 cm yule log mold with insert.
* Use canned pears, drain them well and mix them before using.
** Gavotte crêpes dentelles are a type of delicate French cookies which texture resembles to a refined wafer. You can replace them with waffle cones for the same crispy texture.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Pear Biscoff Christmas Log, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
