More Dessert Stories. Part Two: Buche de Noel

We were invited to a dinner party, and I was asked to bring dessert. As the party was the day after Christmas, and we're still in the official sugar holidaze, nothing but a Buche de Noel would do. So, in the midst of whipping up that Trifle, I was also carefully crafting the decorations for the buche.
If you've never seen a Buche de Noel, check out this wonderful post from Dorie Greenspan on the Parisian art that is the Buche.
The traditional "yule log" cakes are wonderful treats. They may look fancy, but they're really just a jelly roll. A genoise, or sponge cake, is coated in a tasty filling, rolled up,
then covered in ganache or frosting, and decorated to resemble a log. I've made these before and, really, I just love the fussiness of all the preparations.
There are the meringue mushrooms. Tasty on their own, these meringue confections are a breeze to make and they impress everyone! As Maida Heater, Goddess of Chocolate Desserts, suggests, just tumble the little meringues in a straw lined basket for a fabulous centerpiece, then pass it around for dessert. They last for a month if the atmosphere is dry. (Humidity turns them sticky.)
There is the marzipan. Kneaded with food coloring then sculpted into leaves, berries or whatever makes you happy. I had fun with the leaves. Thought about sculpting other things, but I wasn't happy with the execution. I need more practice! Marzipan also lasts forever, which means both mushrooms and marzipan can be made well in advance of making the buche.
Some Parisian buches are decorated with little people and I just love the idea of creating a whole winter wonderland, but there is the issue of GIANT LOGS and little teeny marzipan people - hey, it's all about scale! Nevertheless, I scurried around the house, checking out all the doo-dads that I've collected for Christmastime, just to see what I might be able to include in the wintry scene.
These cats and dogs look a little scary up close.

(seriously, what's with the tree growing out of that cat's head?)

These little heads are fun, a little weird... but still not right...
I finally landed on the Christmas Tree Angels. They fit in perfectly.
I prepped the huge silver platter (my grandmother's - what the heck did she do with this thing? it weighs a ton.) with greens and holly branches. Then, covered a piece of cardboard in foil, as I wanted to be able to frost the cake away from the platter, and, anyway, I couldn't fit the massive platter in the refrigerator.
I used Martha Stewart's recipe for the cake, making genoise,
ganache and mousse.
What isn't mentioned in her recipe is the need for hours!!!! of chilling. I wish, in retrospect, I had made the cake and the mousse the day before the party. I would have rolled the cake up in the morning of the party, then frosted it a couple of hours later.
As it was, I baked the cake in the morning of the party, and made the mousse around noon, and I was a little worried it there wouldn't be time to set up and chill properly.
All in all, it was a lot of fun to make. It was certainly enjoyed by everyone at the party, and made quite a splash. The buche served 8 easily, with a couple of pieces and a handful of meringue mushrooms left for the host & hostess.
So, no recipe in this post. Just a little bragging. It is pretty, don'tcha think?

Somewhere Between Cookie and Candy

Today I made two cookies, each had a moist brownie-like base, and were cooked in the same way, but then the recipes diverged and one became a Rum Ball and another became a Grasshopper. Yes, it was a boozy day in the kitchen. I love these two cookies - they present beautifully in a cookie box.

I've learned over time that people are divided on cookies with booze. You're either a fan or you're not. No shillyshallying. The way I see it, an espresso and a liquor-laced cookie in the late afternoon, as the sun is setting, is a great way to cope with the dark days of December.

The Grasshopper cookie is from Gourmet, 2005, and it's very fancy and rich (also very expensive, using 20 oz of bittersweet chocolate and another 10 oz of white chocolate.) They remind me of the ice cream sundae my Grandmother Bea would make for me - vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and a healthy shot of creme de menthe. Yes, for an 8 year old.

The recipe yields a ton of cookies - about 80 pcs if they are cut into small bonbons. Making them is a commitment - it takes hours, interrupted by cooling time. I made them in between making a few other things. I don't mean to be discouraging, but be ready to commit.


On the other hand, the Rum Balls are incredibly easy and take very little time to make. Feel free to switch up the booze. They are wonderful with Grand Marnier, Frangelica, Bourbon, Cognac, even the new artisanal gins. This year, I substituted a rum liqueur called Velvet Falernum that makes a mojito extra wonderful. It's sweeter than rum and has an herbal tone that's amazing.


Rum Balls
recipe from Martha Stewart
Makes about 75 one bite cookies

3 oz unsalted butter, cubed
6 oz bittersweet chocolate
3 eggs
1/2 c light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c flour
1/3 c rum, bourbon or other liquor
5 oz sanding sugar - I am partial to bright white.

Preheat the oven to 350.
Line a sheet pan with parchment and then spray with non-stick spray.
Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt until blended.
Stir in the chocolate/butter. Fold in the flour.
Spread the batter evenly across the parchment. Bang the pan on the counter to knock out the air bubbles.
Bake for 10 minutes. It might bubble way up, don't worry, it will come down again.


Let the cookie cool for 15-20 minutes, then break it up into the bowl of your mixer.
Pour in the booze and buzz the mixture until it comes together as a dough.
Line another sheet pan with parchment.
Using a small scoop or two teaspoons, portion out 80 mounds of dough.

Roll the mounds gently in your hand until nice and round. Don't compress the dough. Be gentle.
Roll the balls in sanding sugar until well coated.
Store in layers in an airtight container. Will keep for three weeks.