Buche de Noel

[louiselux]

Fired up by memories of Antique Bakery, I'm going to have a go at making this Buche de Noel. Aka chocolate log.

Getting a 'wood-like effect' using cream and melted chocolate sounds difficult though, and I'm not entirely convinced by Delia's efforts in the picture shown. Doesn't it look like it has the potential for messy disaster?

This one looks extremely log-like - I like the presentation.

This one is a bit frightening, but it has fake mushrooms. Hmmm.

This one is more sophistamacated - but not very log like.

Comments

[kispexi2.livejournal.com]

Getting a 'wood-like effect' using cream and melted chocolate sounds difficult though

Ya think? Sounds like the perfect start to me! ;-)

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Lol! Did your mind just go to a really naughty place then?

[scribblemoose]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one. Antique Bakery/Hakkai+Gojyo crossover, anyone?

[lydia-petze.livejournal.com]

Messy, TASTY, disaster though ;-)

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

True! Nothing can really truly go wrong with mixing cream and chocolate.

[athena8.livejournal.com]

I like the second one!

I love buche de noel! Mmm! Here's (http://athena8.livejournal.com/308651.html) the one I had last year! (Which I purchased at my favorite cafe). If I had baking skills, I'd love to try to make one. Sounds like such a fun holiday project. Good luck, and hope you post your results! ^___^ ♥

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

I'm really leaning towards making it as log-like as possible. I'll be sure to regale you with my buche de noel adventures!

[fedal-fangirl.livejournal.com]

I don't care which one you make, just let us know when it's ready so we can be there to do a taste-test.

~ scrounges around for passport ~

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

I'll save you a slice!

[shezan.livejournal.com]

None of these look the way a bûche de Noël should look like. Here is what you should be aiming for:

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Excellent! These are really log-like, especially the top one. This is the standard I'm going to strive towards.

[chomiji]

You can decorate it with these guys! I made them once long ago - they look great and are very tasty.

Also, be sure to follow Ono-sensei's tip about brushing the cake with the sugar syrup as you roll it up to keep it from breaking. One rainy day at the beach this past summer, the Young Lady and her best friend made us a jelly roll using that method. It was still a bit messy, but it didn't break.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Oh cool! They look great, I'm going to give them a try unless I find an easier method. I was considering making marzipan ones, although I'm not sure how I'd colour them. Hmmm.

[kispexi2.livejournal.com]

I had a thought ... I remember my Mum making a yule log which she coated with melted Mars Bars. The combo of choc, nougat and toffee was pretty effective in getting the lumpy, wooden look.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Aha! I like her style of thinking. I'm looking forward to experimenting with this!

[scribblemoose]

Remember the wise words my nana taught me (she was a professional caterer) - if a cake goes wrong all you have to do is drown it in brandy, cover it in custard and call it a trifle ;)

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Oh, a wise woman! I will remember that. :)

[trensaddiction.livejournal.com]

I love buche de noel, but I'll admit I tend to cheat and frost and fill them with buttercream (chocolate for the outside, mocha or chestnut inside). That way, I can make the cake well in advance, then store it in the freezer until I'm ready to serve it. Three hours thawing in the fridge and it's good to go (I make meringue mushrooms and dust the log with powdered sugar just before presentation).

One great thing about this cake is that you're expected to cover the outside with very thick frosting, no matter what sort you choose, so if the cake does break in the rolling, you can easily hide that fact. Frosting hides a multitude of sins. :) Good luck!

[i-am-zan.livejournal.com]

yess Antique bakery and Ono and Gojyo and lurid looking yule logs!

The brain just hit the gutter ^_~ hee!

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

Chocolate and cream melted together is actually pretty easy to work with-- the only thing, if you haven't worked with chocolate before, is that it can burn very easily. A double boiler is best, if you have one.

[kanzenhanzai.livejournal.com]

Food Network just had a special on holiday foods, including a Buche de Noel. I immediately thought of Antique Bakery *g* The "logs" they made included little chocolate raccoons that peaked out. I'm not sure I could eat cute little raccoon heads...

The way the bakers got the 'wood effect' in the show was to drench the cake logs in chocolate and brush them with what looked like flat plastic pieces with uneven ridges at one end.