Bûche de Noël

Preheat oven to 425F Grease a baking sheet and line with wax paper. Butter and flour wax paper. Sift flour with salt. Melt butter: cool. Beat whole eggs, yolks, and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Beat at high speed 8 to 10 minutes until light and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail. Sift flour over batter a third at a time, folding in each third as lightly as possible. Just after the last addition, add melted butter and fold in both together. Spread batter evenly on prepared baking sheet to a 15" x 10" rectangle. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until edges are browned slightly. DO NOT OVER BAKE or cake will crack when rolled. Slide cake off baking sheet onto a rack by gently pulling paper with cake on top. Invert cake onto a cloth towel; remove paper. Roll up hot cake with towel and let cool. Prepare sugar syrup: Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil 1 to 2 minutes, or until clear. Cool. When the cake is cool, unroll gently and brush with cooled syrup. Butter Cream: In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks just until mixed. In a small heavy saucepan, heat sugar with water until dissolved, then bring to a boil until syrup reaches soft ball stage (239F on a candy thermometer). Wait 20 seconds until bubbles in syrup in saucepan subside. Gradually pour the hot sugar syrup over egg yolks beating constantly. If using an electric mixer, pour sugar syrup in a thin stream between beaters and bowl so syrup doesn't stick to either. Then beat as fast as possible until mixture is thick and cool. Cream butter and gradually beat it into yolk mixture which must be quite cool or it will melt the butter when you beat it in. Beat in a flavor appropriate for for chosen recipe. Butter cream can be prepared 3 days ahead, then covered and refrigerated. (Chocolate Butter Cream: For every cup of butter cream add 3 ounces semi sweet chocolate which has been melted over a pan of boiling water. Cool slightly before beating into butter cream) Spread butter cream on the inside part of the cake. Trim edges with a sharp knife. Roll cake trimmings into tight spirals to be attached to exterior of log as knots with a little butter cream. Roll up cake, removing towel as you roll. Spread butter cream on outside of cake from end to end and mark it with a fork to resemble the bark. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake and grate a little chocolate over the sugar if desired or decorate as desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Bûche de Noël can be covered and refrigerated 1 to 2 days. Makes 6 to 8 servings.