Bûche de Noël

For a Christmas Eve party I wanted to make something special and decided to try the classic dessert.  Lots of internet searching led me to this recipe.  It was very pretty and with the video, seemed quite doable.  The problem is that the actual recipe isn't written down in the link so I watched and wrote it down.  I will say that I wasn't overly impressed with the flavor of each separate component but they came together nicely.

Here's a picture of the one from the recipe:

And this is what mine looked like when I was done:

As you can see, I did the bark differently.  The ganache wasn't a pipe-able texture for so long that I wasn't sure it would thicken up so I just frosted it lightly and then decorated with chocolate bark. The chocolate bark is leftover bittersweet chocolate (about two oz) that I'd melted to glue the mushroom caps and bottoms together. I brushed it with a silicon pastry brush onto wax paper - the brush made great bark texture.  I broke apart the pieces and set it into the ganache for this look which I think is better than the original.  I also find ganache overwhelmingly rich so it also decreased the flavor intensity a bit.  I used about 1/3 of the ganache and used the rest to make two chocolate orange curd tarts and those were fabulous! 

Notes:

1. I piped and baked the meringue mushrooms a couple of days before making the rest of the cake and that worked just fine.
2. I didn't have any superfine sugar so put sugar into a food processor and chopped for about a minute.  Seemed to work just fine.
3. The recipe made more than twice as many mushrooms as needed. 

Bûche de Noël

350F
12-15 minutes

Sponge

Preheat the oven. Cut parchment paper to exactly fit the bottom of a half sheet pan (13x18).  The video didn't show if the paper was greased but I greased it and also the bottom of the pan (not the sides) and it was fine. 

Whisk until smooth and well blended:

8 egg yolks (room temperature)

3 T superfine sugar

Whisk into the egg mixture:

6 T room temperature milk

6 T vegetable oil

1 t vanilla

Sift then whisk into the egg mixture:

1/4 c flour

1/4 c cocoa

6 T corn starch

Mix to soft peaks:

8 egg whites

1 t cream of tarter

Then gradually add and beat to medium peaks:

1/2 c superfine sugar

Gently fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until blended.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes until cake is set.

Remove from the oven, use a knife to loosen the case from the sides.  Place a clean towel over the cake, then a cooling over the towel and flip the cake onto the towel.  Peel off the parchment, cool 10 minutes, then roll the cake into a log, leaving the towel in place.  Cool completely.

Filling

Beat until smooth and light.

4 c powdered sugar, sifted
1 c room temperature butter

Add gradually:

1/3 milk

Stir in:

1 1/2 t vanilla

1/4 t salt

1/4 c chocolate/hazelnut spread

Unroll the cooled sponge.  Spread the filling except for a half an inch around the outside of the sponge.  Roll and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Ganache

Break up the chocolate and pour hot cream over the chocolate, giving it a bit of time for the chocolate to melt.  Stir until well mixed.  To pipe, let cool for what feels like forever but was likely about an hour.  I used only about 1/3 of this because I frosted instead of piped.  

12 oz bittersweet chocolate

1 1/4 c heavy cream

Meringue mushrooms (and chocolate bark)

200F
1 1/2 to 2 hours

This made more than twice as many mushrooms as needed.  Line a pan with parchment paper

Beat to soft peaks

2 egg white
1/4 t cream of tarter

Gradually add, then beat to medium/stiff peaks:

1/2 c superfine sugar

Pipe separate mushroom tops and stems onto a parchment lined pan - size 12 tip.  Sprinkle with:

1 T cocoa

Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then turn off the oven and let them cool completely in the oven. (or at least 30 minutes).  

Melt:

2 oz bittersweet chocolate

Use the chocolate to glue the tops to the bottoms.  Then use the remaining chocolate to make chocolate bark by using a silicon pastry brush to brush it on a piece of wax paper.  Allow to dry, gently pry off the paper.

Sugared Cranberry and Rosemary

These made it really pretty.   Lots of wasted sugar solution though, could use about half this and still have way too much.

Bring to a boil:

1 c sugar

1 c water

Dip in the sugar mixture then remove, drain, and roll in sugar (I did this right on the counter because the cranberries fell through the holes of the cooling racks and I found if they cooled, the sugar wouldn't stick anyway). 

1/2 c fresh cranberries

6 rosemary sprigs

Assemble the log

Cut about 1/2" off one end of the log to expose the swirl.  Cut the other end at an angle, about 2 inches from the end.  Glue the piece on the side of the longer log with ganache, cut side out to show the swirl.  Cover all but the ends with a light coat of ganache, place the chocolate bark along the log, then glue the mushrooms in place with ganache.  Add the cranberries and rosemary.  Sift confectioners sugar over it if you need snow. Enjoy your masterpiece.

Very Awesome Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

This was in the Burlington Free Press and is originally from the Huckleberry Bakery and Cafe in Santa Monica, CA by way of Bon Appetit, May 2010. I've made it three times. It's that good.

Blueberry Cornmeal Cake
325 F, about 1 hour and 15 minutes

1 1/3 c flour
2/3 c corn meal (I liked the coarse stuff better than the finer stuff for this)
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
6 T vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp honey
10 T butter (room temp)
3/4 c + 3 T sugar, divided
1 tsp salt (the recipe calls for 1 1/2 tsp but that seems like a lot)
1 c ricotta cheese
1/3 c plain yogurt (I subbed half milk, half lemon juice)
3 cup blueberries

Prepare grease 10" springform pan (I used parchment on the bottom too). Whisk flour and the next 3 ingredients. Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla and honey. Beat butter, 3/4 c + 2 T sugar and salt until creamy.

With mixer running, slowly add egg mixture. Beat in flour mixture, just to blend. Add ricotta and yogurt to blend.

Pour half of mixture into the pan. Cover with half the blueberries. Pour remaining batter in and top with the rest of the blueberries. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about one hour and 15 minutes, longer if the blueberries are frozen. Cool in pan on rack.

Cupcakes!

Just for fun - pictures of cupcakes I made for the bake sale at Sam's school. The next holiday is Valentines Day so in honor of that I made these.







For those recently burned by love:

Green tomato cake

Yes, you read that correctly. Cake. With tomatoes. And you know, it was good, very good. No one had a clue that it had tomatoes.


Green Tomato Cake

350°F
30 min for cupcakes, about 45 for cake

Blend these together in one bowl:
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 c oil
1 stick butter, melted
3 eggs
2 t vanilla

Sift these together in another bowl:
3 cups flour
1 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg

Add the sifted stuff to the wet stuff gradually. Then add:
1 c chopped nuts
1 c craisins
2-2 1/2 c diced green tomatoes (about three)

Add to greased pan and top with:
coconut

Bake until a tooth pick comes out clean.

This made 16 cupcakes and a 8x8 cake pan. It would make one 9x13.


Three big thumbs up. Come try one and see if you can tell there are green tomatoes in it!

Party goodies

We had a party over the weekend and I did lots of cooking beforehand because I wanted to do a selection of salads. Oh, and a couple of desserts are required too, right? Our friend Chris does a lot of smoking so he and Ben did the chicken and ribs. They were in charge of the meat and I did absolutely no cooking of meat. Local foods? Some, certainly not all.


The Menu:

Steaktips
Steak
Smoked Chicken
Smoked Ribs
Hotdogs
Venison

Misc beverages: Soda, Beer, Wine, Seltzer, juice

Thai Soba noodles
Potato Salad
Beets and Miso (just beets this time, no other root veggies)
Barley and Pecan salad (one of my favorites)
Baked Beans (from a can, spiked with maple syrup)
Fruit salad (just watermelon, mango, grapes, cherries)

Potato chips and dip
Chips and Salsa

Home baked bread, one regular, one whole wheat
Cheese
Butter

Choc chip cookies
Lazy Daisy Cake

The soba noodle recipe started with this recipe from Epicurious. I made quite a few changes to it though. I used soba noodles instead of linguine but I think I'd have liked it better with linguine. I also didn't have any cucumber so I subbed a red and green pepper instead. I added toasted sesame seeds because I like them and I used half a red onion instead of the the green onions. Oh, and I added chives because I had them. I also cooked only the garlic in the oil, not the onion or ginger. Why cook those? Those flavors should come out loud and clear.

My potato salad is very basic. It's just cooked potatoes, red onion, mayo, mustard, boiled eggs, salt, pepper all to taste.


This was the first time I've ever made Lazy Daisy Cake and it's wonderful.

Lazy Daisy Cake

350 degree oven
30-35 minutes
grease 9"x13" pan

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter

Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
2 cups flaked coconut

Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture and beat just until combined. In a saucepan, bring milk and butter to a boil, stirring constantly. Add to batter and beat until combined. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool cake about 5 minutes.

Combine frosting ingredients; spread over warm cake. Broil at least 6 in. from heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.


After all the chopping, cooking, and baking I've come to the conclusion that I should just stick to very recognizable basic foods, preferably finger foods. The potato and fruit salads went over very well, the others not so much even though in MY mind, I thought they were much better salads. The potato chips went quickly, the tortilla chips not so much. The cookies went much faster than the cake. My neighbor brought cupcakes and those flew out of there. The kids were begging for them immediately. A friend brought a platter of fresh watermelon and pineapple cut into a size easily eaten out of hand (and nicely garnished with the pineapple top) and they were eaten immediately too.

And either people where having a hard time finding the beverages or they just wanted to drink a lot of water. We have lots of soda and beer left so that's all packed away in the basement.

My favorite lemon poppyseed butter cake

Local? NO! Excellent? Of course. I make this cake more often than any other type of cake which isn't saying much since I don't even remember the last cake I baked.

Lemon Poppyseed Butter Cake
350F, 45-55 minutes

Grease and flour a bundt pan

Sift the following together and set aside:
3 c cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Beat the following at medium speed for about 5 minutes:
8 oz softened butter
1 1/2 c sugar

Add slowly and beat for 4-5 min until thick & double in volume:
4 lightly beaten eggs

Additional ingredients:
1 c milk
Peel of two lemons
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp poppy seeds

Fold flour by quarters alternating with milk and ending with flour. Add lemon peel, juice, and poppy seeds. Pour into pan and smooth top. Bake until top is set and springs back when touched. Remove and let rest for two minutes then turn out on cooling rack.

Top as you please. A sprinkling of powdered sugar is nice if you're pressed for time. A glaze of a jam of your choice spiked with, say, flaming cognac and boiled for a moment is pretty. This one had a Sam-sprinkled coat of powdered sugar and a strawberry sauce (oooh! local strawberries from last summer thawed).