A Plant Based Christmas - Nut Log Recipe "Chocolate salami"

Entre was antipasto (shared with meat eaters so meat and dairy everywhere!)

Main was a structured tofurkey:
That is a layered of marinated tofu, bread soaked in vegan chicken stock, a cheesy sauce, bbq sauce, another layer of "stuffing" bread, and another layer of tofu on top, scored with pepper-corns pressed in.

The full version I made for the others:
Method as above

Dessert was a non-vegan pavlova. It was delicious with pudding cream "vanilla slice" instead of plain whipped cream. This was where i flexed into vegetarian as opposed to vegan on the day.

And take home dessert was a nut cherry chocolate log with rice malt syrup, rice bran cereal instead of cookies and condensed milk. It had a layer of marzipan too. Trace amounts of dairy in the dark chocolate. 

It was a decadent hot Christmas here in Australia, but I did put on a kilo. Worth it....almost. Next year i will make LESS logs, instead of 2 just to myself! I will have to quarter the recipe. 


Improved Nut Log Recipe - 1 thicker log (Recipe yet to be tried)

200g nuts (almonds, hazelnut, cashew, pecan, pistachio?)

200g rice bran cereal 

130g rice malt syrup (could use less and make up liquid with frangellico)

2tb frangellico

1t rum essence

25g chopped dark choc

Marzipan ( 1/2c almond meal blended finely with rice malt syrup and possibly aquafaba until dough consistency)

+ extra dark chocolate to coat

Optional: "choc cherry flavour"

1-2 TB cocoa

glace cherries/dried fruit as desired like dried apricots

Process dry ingredients first to texture desired in a food processor. Add wet ingredients and mix with hands. Form into log. Add in chopped fruit as desired. I liked the choc cherry flavour best, but I had a plain, and an apricot log too.

Roll out marzipan and wrap log with it. It helps to use gladwrap here to guide the marizipan on.

coat in chocolate and scratch with fork for wood grain effect.

dust with icing and top with 3 glace cherries if desired and 3 mint chocolate leaves (paint underside of mint leaves with chocolate and peel leaf once cooled to make chocolate leaves.)

Nut Log Recipe: - Makes 3 logs

50g rice bran cereal

450g biscuits (marie, tea biscuits mix) - replace with nuts if desired

300g nuts=

{150g almonds

50g roast hazelnuts 

10g walnuts

30g cashews

30g pecans

30g mixed nuts (walnut pecan cashew) } - traditionally it was pistachio and almond

260g rice malt syrup (over 3/4 a jar)

3tb frangellico

2t rum essence

55g chopped dark choc

+ Chocolate to coat

1 packet marzipan

Optional: "choc cherry flavour"

2 TB cocoa

glace cherries/dried fruit as desired like dried apricots

Process dry ingredients first to texture desired in a food processor. Add wet ingredients and mix with hands. Form into log. Add in chopped fruit as desired. I liked the choc cherry flavour best, but i had a plain, and an apricot log.

roll out marzipan and wrap log with it. It helps to use gladwrap here to guide the marizipan on.

coat in chocolate and scratch with fork for wood grain effect.

dust with icing and top with 3 glace cherries if desired and 3 mint chocolate leaves (paint underside of mint leaves with chocolate and peel leaf once cooled to make chocolate leaves.)

Normal Version - 3 Logs

300g nuts:

100g hazelnut

60g pecan

40g walnut

100g almonds

2 pack cookies, 250g each (marie or arrowroot)

1 can condensed milk 

595g toasted nuts (almond, hazelnut, walnuts

(250g nuts)

About 100g chocolate grated

add 2 TB cocoa for chocolate flavour

<1 block chocolate melted, to coat

1-2 shots liquor/rum essence

Icing sugar to dust

You can also make the cherries and holly from marzipan and food colouring if desired to decorate.

Process dry ingredients first to texture desired in a food processor. Add wet ingredients and mix with hands. Form into log. Add in chopped fruit as desired. I liked the choc cherry flavour best, but i had a plain, and an apricot log.

roll out marzipan and wrap log with it. It helps to use gladwrap here to guide the marizipan on.

coat in chocolate and scratch with fork for wood grain effect.

dust with icing and top with 3 glace cherries if desired and 3 mint chocolate leaves (paint underside of mint leaves with chocolate and peel leaf once cooled to make chocolate leaves.)