What to drink now: Friendsmas with GREY GOOSE

This year, Friendsmas – the eagerly anticipated festive get-together with friends – is back, and it can’t come quick enough! To celebrate, GREY GOOSE Vodka and TV baking star, Manon Lagrève have unveiled the ultimate cocktail and cake pairing for this year’s festivities – a delightfully indulgent Vodka-infused Bûche De Noël, paired with a seasonally spiced GREY GOOSE Vodka Yuletide Mule.

In a year where people across Britain have fast become self-made mixologists and budding bakers the vodka brand has teamed up with star baker Lagrève to give 2020’s baking and cocktail-shaking masters an opportunity to showcase their skills and treat friends and family with a perfectly paired vodka cocktail and dessert:

GREY GOOSE Vodka infused Bûche De Noël: A luxurious chocolate genoise with white chocolate mousse and finished with an extra special GREY GOOSE Vodka-infused ganache

GREY GOOSE Vodka Yuletide Mule: A festive twist on an old classic, this cocktail is made with Vodka, cranberry juice and ginger beer.

The unveiling of the partnership comes at an opportune time for revellers and hosts alike, with almost half (50%) of Brits claiming that they’ll be incorporating more cocktails into their Christmas celebrations than previous years.

For those looking to get creative in the kitchen and treat loved ones, friends or neighbours to something extra special this festive season, GREY GOOSE has you covered.

The full GREY GOOSE Vodka-infused Bûche De Noël and GREY GOOSE Yuletide Mule recipes can be found here:

GREY GOOSE Vodka-infused Bûche De Noël

INGREDIENTS

For the genoise

4 large eggs
120g caster sugar
90g plain flour
15g corn flour
15g cacao powder
3 tbsp warm water
1 pinch salt
For the syrup
100ml water
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the GREY GOOSE Vodka Ganache

200g dark chocolate
200g double cream
50g salted butter
10ml GREY GOOSE Vodka
For the chocolate mousse
150g white chocolate
250ml double cream

METHOD

Make the Genoise: Separate the egg yolks and whites in two bowls. Add the sugar and warm water to the egg yolks and whisk energetically for a couple of minutes. Sift in the flour, corn flour, cacao and the salt and mix in with a spatula.
Finish the Genoise: Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and mix with an electric mixer for 5 to 7 minutes until hard peaks form. Add half of the egg whites to the egg yolks mixture and whisk well. Add the rest gently, using a spatula to fold the egg whites in.
Cook the genoise: Lay some baking paper onto a shallow rectangular baking tray and spread the genoise evenly on top with a spatula. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes at 180°C, until nice and softly brown.
Prepare a damp clean cloth and cover the warm genoise with it. Flip the baking tray upside down onto a plate / board, remove the baking paper, and gently roll the genoise using the damp cloth. Put in the fridge until completely cooled.
Make the white chocolate mousse: Break the white chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Bring the cream to a boil and spread on top of the white chocolate. Gently mix with a spatula until the white chocolate is fully melted. Keep in the fridge until it is time to assemble the Bûche De Noël.
Make the GREY GOOSE Vodka Ganache: Roughly shred the chocolate with a knife and pour into a large mixing bowl. Bring the cream to boil and pour over the dark chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Use a spatula to mix the cream and chocolate to create the ganache. Add the 10ml of GREY GOOSE and let the mixture sit at room temperature.
Make the syrup: In a pan, add the water, sugar and vanilla extract and bring to boil. Cook for 5 minutes until it gets slightly thicker.
Finish the white chocolate mousse: Use an electric mixer to whisk the white chocolate ganache until light and soft. Fill a piping bag with the mix.
Assemble the GREY GOOSE Vodka Bûche De Noël: Gently remove the cloth inside the genoise and unfold it. Use a pastry brush to spread the syrup all around the genoise. Pipe the white chocolate mousse on top of the genoise and roll it tightly and keep in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.
Finally, cover with the GREY GOOSE Vodka Chocolate Ganache and use a spatula to create a wood-like effect. Decorate with Christmas decorations and sprinkle with icing sugar.