Bûche de Noël – Yule Log

It's that time of year again... the Christmas season! Not only do I love this time of year because we get to celebrate the birth of our Savior, but we find this season the perfect time to share love and gifts with others. 

We live on this wonderful little street in Colorado Springs called Rawhide Lane, but this time of year it could be called "Christmas Lane." 3 doors down from us, we have a neighbor that goes all out for decorating for Christmas. Last year, he began to add other neighbors to his display, and this year 7 houses are included in the Christmas light and music show. The lights are all synchronized to a music channel that you can tune in to. We also have a traditional block party during the season, complete with a fire pit, hot chocolate, and sweet treats. Yes, our street gets pretty busy during December, but it's just part of the fun. 

Since we love living in our neighborhood and appreciate having wonderful neighbors, I always try to make a special treat for them at Christmas time. This year I made Yule Log Cakes. I have made cake rolls before, but never actually made a yule log. So, of course, I went to the trusty internet and did some research about the yule log tradition, and different versions of the yule log cake, and then came up with my own design. It was truly a fun project! Last night hubby and I delivered the festive treats to our neighbors and it was so much fun to see the the smiles on their faces. 

There were different parts to be made before I could assemble the final yule log cakes. You can find the recipes near the end of this post. I also found a short version of the history of the yule log or Buche de Noel, if you speak French. We'll start with that...

First, I found out that a yule log cake is not complete without meringue mushrooms. If you have never made these, you must try them. They are easy and yummy, and look like the real thing. You could even just give a basket of these to someone as a gift. Just tie them up with some clear cellophane wrap and a pretty ribbon. 

Pipe out mushroom caps and stems by using a decorating bag fitted with only a coupler. Sprinkle caps with cocoa powder. Bake  at 200 degrees for 2 hours.

Melt chocolate and brush on to bottom of mushroom cap.

 Trim off top of stems so they are flat and dip into chocolate.

Assemble cap and stem and let set until hard.

 Don't they look real? They're so cute!

Next, I molded pinecones and greenery from modeling chocolate. You can also just pipe pinecones from stiffened buttercream, but I thought these little guys looked cuter on the yule logs. Of course, I used one of my favorite blue silicone molds from First Impressions.

 Start by pressing in the chocolate modeling chocolate first.

 Then add the greenery.

 After the mold is filled, clean the edges and smooth out with your finger. Then pop in the freezer for a few minutes. 

 I sprinkled just a bit of rainbow disco dust on each to make them sparkle.

The cake rolls are basically just a thin sponge type cake (or roulade) with a filling of your choice inside. I made mine easy by starting with a dark chocolate mix, but adjusting the ingredients a bit. I was able to get two small logs out of each pan.

I filled my cake rolls with vanilla mousse and folded in chopped maraschino cherries. Cut the roll in half diagonally, and also cut each end off diagonally. 

You can ice your cake with either a buttercream icing or a chocolate ganache. To give the log the texture of bark, you can use an impression mat, or just draw a fork through the icing to give it a textured look.

After icing and letting the buttercream set for a few minutes, I used a bark silicone impression mat to get the bark texture. 

Pipe a circular pattern on the ends of each log.

Pipe a simple shell border around the bottom and add the pinecones, mushrooms, and any other decorations you like.

Finally, sprinkle some powdered sugar on your log to resemble light snow.

Meringue Mushrooms from Meringue Powder

1/2 cup boiling water

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup meringue powder

Cocoa powder (or cinnamon)

Melted chocolate

Combine sugar and water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. Add meringue powder and beat with wire whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Make sure that all of your utensils and bowls are grease free. Fill decorating bag with coupler only, or coupler with large tip. Pipe mushroom caps and stems. Sprinkle caps with cocoa powder or cinnamon. Bake in preheated 200 degree oven for 2 hours. Trim tops of stems with knife to make them flat. Brush or spread on melted chocolate on bottom of tops. Dip top of stems into melted chocolate and assemble with tops. Let set until hardened.

Click here for video and recipe for making meringue mushrooms from fresh egg whites.

Cake Roll Recipe

1 Duncan Hines cake mix

1 small package instant pudding

6 large eggs

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup oil

Beat eggs and thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add remainder of ingredients and beat on low until fully incorporated. Spread on greased and parchment lined half sheet bun pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15-17 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and cake springs back when touched. Immediately turn pan upside down onto a terry cloth towel which has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove parchment paper and roll cake, starting at long end. Leave until fully cooled. Carefully unroll cake and spread with desired filling. Re-roll, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until ready to ice. Since sponge cakes tend to be a little drier than normal cakes, you can brush a simple syrup on the cake roll before adding the filling.

Simple Syrup

Equal parts of water and granulated sugar

Combine sugar and water and bring to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 3 minutes. Allow to cool. May store in the refrigerator for about a month. 

Click here for roulade recipe.

Click here for chocolate buttercream recipe

SNOWFLAKES!

It's Christmas time and what better thing to decorate cakes, cupcakes, and cookies with than snowflakes. Also popular in the last few years have been "Frozen" and "Elsa" cakes. Snowflakes are the perfect way to finish these off or to add a quick pretty topper for cupcakes swirled with blue and white buttercream. I have several ways that I make snowflakes to decorate my creations - molds, fondant cutters, plunger cutters - but one of my favorite ways to make snowflakes is just to pipe them on a board using royal icing or melted chocolate. I like chocolate best because... well because it's chocolate and it just tastes better. They also set up quicker with a little help from the freezer. These snowflakes sometimes look more delicate than the cutter ones and are really easy to make. Start with a simple snowflake design, and duplicate as many as you want onto a page. You can download this pattern sheet of my favorite snowflakes to use if you wish. These should fill an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. 

I tape my pattern sheet to a cardboard cake board, then tape a piece of wax paper over the the pattern sheet, fastening it on the back of the cake board. Now you can pipe the snowflakes directly onto the piece of wax paper. Fit a decorating bag with a #2 tip or cut a small opening in the tip of a parchment bag. Fill your bag no more than half full with icing or melted chocolate and carefully pipe over the snowflake designs.  If you make a mistake, go ahead and scrape it off and do it over again. If you are using melted chocolate, you can pop the board into the freezer for a few minutes until the snowflakes are set. If using royal icing, just let the snowflakes set until hard. Then, carefully remove the tape from the back of the board, put your hand under the wax paper, and gently loosen the snowflakes. Then carefully pull each off and set aside until needed.

 Attach pattern sheet to cake board and cover with wax paper.

Secure wax paper to back of cake board with tape.

 This is my favorite white chocolate to use.

 I have these great little silicone bowls that are great for melting chocolate.

 Melt  in 20-30 second increments, stirring after each.

 Stir until smooth.

 Fit decorating bag with #2 tip.

 Fill decorating bag no more than half full.

 Carefully pipe over each outline.

 I usually pipe the straight lines first, and then the star part in the middle.

Complete entire sheet or as many as needed. Be sure to pipe extra in case a few break.

 When you have completed piping, put the board into the freezer for a few minutes until set.

 When set, carefully remove tape from back of board.

 Gently loosen snowflakes from wax paper with your hand.

Carefully lift off each snowflake and put aside until needed.

Snowflakes on blue and white swirled buttercream.

The best thing about "Black" Friday ... Thanksgiving leftovers!

So it's Black Friday... forget about shopping ... it's time for Thanksgiving leftovers! I never have to worry about gaining weight on the pies. My hubby Bruce downs any of the leftover pie by midday on the day after Thanksgiving. 

The thing I love eating the most is Turkey Stuffing Casserole. This casserole recipe has become as much a family tradition as Thanksgiving dinner itself. Now that it's just the two of us at home, one casserole makes enough for 3-4 meals. It's a good thing hubby likes leftovers. Pair this casserole up with a nice salad and add a little cranberry sauce and it's the perfect dinner of comfort food, traditions, and memories.

Turkey Stuffing Casserole

1 package stuffing mix (I use StoveTop Savory Herbs or Turkey)

4 cups cubed boiled potatoes

2 cups cubed cooked turkey

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of celery soup

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a large saucepan, combine the two soups with 1/2 - 1 can water. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat and add the turkey, onion, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Add potatoes and cheese and stir to combine. Pour into a 2 or 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Prepare the stuffing according to the directions on the package. Layer over top of the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly around the edges. 

Memories from Recipes

As I was anticipating this year's Thanksgiving feast, I pulled out the cookbook to find our favorite recipes so I could make sure all of the ingredients were on my shopping list. Most of my recipes are on full page typed and printed pages, but then there are a few of our very favorite recipes that are handwritten on random pieces of paper or recipe cards, stuffed in plastic sheet protectors, that I refuse to get rid of because of the memories they invoke each time I use them. Here are just three of our very favorites...

Sweet Potato Casserole ... this recipe is from one of my best Arizona friends, Joan Jansen. Each time I make this recipe, I think of the many years we spent together on early morning walks, working together at Weight Watchers, watching our kids grow together, and laughing and crying together through good times and bad ... Memories that I will treasure forever. 

Imitation Black Bottom Pie (our family members actually all agree that this should really be called "black middle pie" instead since that's where the "black" portion of the pie is located) ... this recipe is from my dear departed sister-in-law Vickie. She was a very sweet, yet opinionated woman, who I was proud to call my sister. She was not always respected by the people she loved the most, and was taken much too early by the ugly disease of Cancer. Our family was honored to be able to care for her during her last days, and we will always be grateful for those special memories that we made.  

And finally, Grandma Leavitt's Peanut Butter Balls (normally a recipe that we make at Christmas time, but has been known to surface during other special occasions during the year) ... this is a handwritten little slip of paper from my husband's grandma, sent to me at my request. I have such fond memories of this special lady that lived a good long life, many of those years spent as a widow. She was full of wisdom, laughter, and love, and I cherish the times we spent together. 

Sweet Potato Casserole

This has become a staple at our Thanksgiving table. The thing that makes this really speacial is the streusel topping... yum!

4 large sweet potatoes, canned or fresh (I prefer fresh)

(1) 5 oz. can evaporated milk

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon extract or juice (I prefer juice)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Dash of salt

Dash of cinnamon

Streusel Topping

1 cup chopped nuts ( I prefer pecans) with small amount of flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash sweet potatoes until smooth. If using fresh potatoes, peel and cut in pieces and cook until tender. Drain and mash. Add milk, butter, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and flavorings. Combine well and spread in casserole dish.  (Tip-to make this easy, combine all ingredients in bowl of stand mixer and mix with flat beater until smooth.) Combine streusel topping ingredients until crumbly and spread on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly around edges. The casserole can be made ahead of time, put in the refrigerator and baked just before serving. Add about 10 extra minutes. 

Imitation Black Bottom Pie

A traditonal family pie for Thanksgiving and other other special occasions. 

Crust

1 cup flour

1 stick ( 1/2 cup) butter

Combine to make a smooth dough and mold/press into greased pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees until barely brown (about 15 min.) Cool.

Bottom layer

(1) 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

(1) 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip

Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add Cool Whip and mix until thoroughly combined. Spread over cooled crust.

Middle layer

(2) small packages of instant pudding mix, chocolate or fudge

3 cups milk

Beat together until thickened and smooth. Spread over cream cheese layer.

Top layer

(1) 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip

Chocolate pieces or mini chocolate chips

Spread or pipe on top of pudding layer. Decorate with chocolate pieces or chips. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Grandson Blake, after finishing off his Thanksgiving pie.

Peanut Butter Balls

In our family, we are all peanut butter and chocolate fans. So whenever homemade candies are made, this is the first request. A favorite Christmas treat, but also made for other occasions during the year. These can be made as dipped balls, or as a filling for molded chocolates.

2 cups smooth peanut butter

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 lb. (approx. 4 cups) powdered sugar

3 cups Rice Krispies

Combine together well to make a dough. Form into balls and chill. Dip in chocolate or chocolate candy coating. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... do they ever get old?

Is it my imagination, or are the Turtles making a huge comeback? And how old are they anyway? I remember decorating TMNT cakes when my kids were young... like about 30 years ago. I did a little research a few days ago and found out that the Turtles first made their appearance in 1984. Here it is 31 years later and they are more popular than ever... crazy!

I tried to find a picture of that first TMNT cake that I designed all those years ago, but couldn't seem to find it. Looked everywhere. I vaguely remember wanting to toss the picture so no one would request another cake like it. Back then, most of the cakes I decorated for birthdays were sheet cakes and all of the decorations were done in buttercream. I copied the pattern, cut it out with an exacto knife, and pressed it into the crusted buttercream. I then filled in the outlined design with thinned buttercream. I remember this TMNT cake being very detailed and very time consuming. (Not that some of the cakes I design now aren't time consuming), but all those different colors of buttercream are not always a joy to decorate with. I still do that once in awhile, but not nearly as often. 

Cake decorating has come a long way since then. We now have so many different mediums and different techniques to work with. During the last few months, I have decorated cake pops, cupcakes, and cakes... all with TMNT... cute, but still time consuming and a lot of work. And I just can't believe they're still around!

 RK pops in turtle colors