Chocolate Yule Log (Bûche de Noël au chocolat) For Christmas—with Step by Step Pictorial

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow….

Sorry for the cheesy opening of this post, I really couldn’t help it.    But seriously, I envy those of you who get to enjoy a white Christmas.  Although I hate don’t like extremely cold temperature, I don’t mind it for the Holidays.  Oh, who am I kidding!?  If I live in an area that snows, I probably will stay indoor the whole winter with the heater on full blast! Please excuse my mumbling and let’s get to the cake.



Now, you know what I did with these Vanilla Meringue Mushrooms from the previous post!  They were made for decorating this Chocolate Yule Log Cake.  This is a very festive cake to make for the Holiday and it’s much easier to prepare than you think.  I make this chocolate roll cake all the time.  The chocolate roll cake is a very popular cake in Asian bakeries.  The only differences of this Chocolate Yule Log cake are the extras chocolate frosting that I spread on to imitate/resembling the log patterns and the Vanilla Meringue Mushrooms on top for decorations.

Here’s the step-by-step pictorial.  First, preheat the oven to 375 degree F. and grease a 10 by 15-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Then, line the pan with parchment paper.  Make sure the parchment pager is large enough to have at least 2-inch excess on all sides for easy removal when the cake is done.



Next, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until frothy.  Then slowly add around 1/2 of the sugar as stated in the recipe.



Beat until the meringue reach a medium peak.



In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until light and pale yellow.  Then add the vanilla, instant coffee, melted butter and heavy cream until incorporated.  Sift the cocoa powder and cake flour into the egg yolk mixture.  Fold until the dry and wet ingredients are just combined. 



Add 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter and stir until batter is lightened.  Do not worry about deflating the egg white here.



See how much lighter the batter is? 





Then, gently fold in the remaining egg whites in two batches.  Need to be careful now not to over beat the batter and deflate the egg whites too much. 





Gently spread the cake batter evenly onto the prepared cake pan. 





Bake at 375 degree F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the cake and comes out clean.  Let cool on a wiring rack completely.





To prepare the filling, beat the whipped cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peak formed.  Spread evenly onto the cooled cake.





Roll the cake up, from the shorter end.




To prepare the chocolate frosting, whip the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peak forms.  Sift in the cocoa powder and fold until well incorporated.  Cut about 2 inches off the rolled cake at an angle, set aside.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of chocolate frosting and spread the rest evenly onto the log.  With the back of a fork, gently press over the chocolate frosting to create the log patterns.  Place the cut off portion on the side of the log and spread the reserved 2 tablespoons of frosting on the side of the smaller log.  Use the fork to create the log patter on this piece as well.  Top with Vanilla Meringue Mushrooms and sprinkle the powdered sugar for the snow effect. 




This Chocolate Yule Log truly brings back many childhood memories.  I remember having my very first Yule Log cake for Christmas when I was about 7 years old.  The cake was bought at a store.  My Grandparents, Parents, Aunts, Uncles, my Brothers and Cousins were all there to celebrate together.  Spending time with family and enjoying good food together are precious and priceless.  I’ll forever treasure and cherish those sweet and warm memories.  I hope you and your family are creating new memories together during this Holiday Season.








Chocolate Yule Log (Bûche de Noël au chocolat)
(Printable Recipe)


Ingredients for the cake:
5 egg whites
5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon caster sugar, divided
Pinch of kosher salt
5 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granulate
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup cake flour

To prepare the cake:

Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.  Grease a 10 by 15-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Then, line the pan with parchment paper.  Make sure the parchment pager is large enough to have at least 2-inch excess on all sides for easy removal when the cake is done. 

Next, beat the egg whites with cream of tartart and a pinch of salt until frothy. Then slowly add in around 1/2 of the sugar and beat until medium peak forms.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until light and pale yellow. Then add the vanilla, instant coffee, melted butter and heavy cream until incorporated. Sift the cocoa powder and cake flour into the egg yolk mixture. Fold until the dry and wet ingredients are just combined.

Add 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter and stir until batter is lightened. Then, gently fold in the remaining egg whites in two batches.  Be careful not to deflate the egg whites too much.

Gently spread the cake batter evenly onto the prepared cake pan.  Bake at 375 degree F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the cake and comes out clean. Let cool on a wiring rack completely.

Mean while, work on the filling and frosting.

Ingredients for the filling:
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

To prepare the filling:

Beat the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peak formed. Spread evenly onto the cooled cake.

Ingredients for the chocolate frosting:

1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

To prepare the chocolate frosting:

Beat the whipped cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peak formed.  Sift and fold the cocoa powder into the whipped cream mixture until well combined.

To Assemble:

Gently spread the filling onto completely cooled cake.  Roll the cake up, from the shorter end.   
Cut about 2 inches off the rolled cake at an angle, set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of chocolate frosting and spread the rest evenly onto the log. With the back of a fork, gently press over the chocolate frosting to create the log patterns. Place the cut off portion on the side of the log and spread the reserved 2 tablespoons of the frosting onto the side of the smaller log. Use the fork to create the log pattern on this piece as well. Top with Vanilla Meringue Mushrooms and a sprinkle of powdered sugar for the snow effect. Take some pictures and enjoy the cake.  If not serve immediately, cover loosely and keep refrigerated.


This recipe is shared with:

Pity Party
Friday Potluck
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Mingle Monday
Do Something Crafty Friday
Tuesday Talent Show
Success U

Vegetarian Chop-Suey (羅漢齋) Semi-Home Made?

I’m a meat lover and don’t think I can ever convert to a vegetarian.  However, I also love vegetables to a point that I got to have vegetables everyday (although not every single meal).  Each week, there would be a day (maybe two in the future) that I prepare meatless dishes only and this is one of the vegetarian dish that I make most often for this special day of the week.   



Why a meatless day for a carnivore?  I guess my body is telling me I need to “detox”!  After consuming all the meats for a week, my body longs for a dish that is light and easy to digest.  During the summer, I often make salads.  (You can find some of my salad recipes here, here and here.)  But for winter or cooler days, it’s better to have a hot and hearty dish.  This Vegetarian Chop-Suey dish fits the bill.   Want to know why it is semi-home made?  You’ll see why as you read along.  

First, we need some vegetarian protein sticks.  What a funny name, huh?!  They are actually dried soybean curd.  They are convenience to use, nutritious and has a great texture.  You can find them in most Asian supermarkets. 



Soak them in hot tap water for 10-15 minutes.  Drain and gently squeeze out excess water and they’re ready to be used for the stir fry.  During the cooking process, these Vegetarian Protein Sticks will absorb quite a bit of the sauce.  So, they turn out to be very flavorful and delicious.
 

Up next, some beautiful baby Bak Choy.  I always love the baby version as they’re more tender.  Wash and drain them well.  I cut some of the bigger ones in half, vertically, so all of them cook evenly.

 
What make this dish so hearty?  The star ingredient is King Trumpet Mushroom.  The nick name for these mushroom in Chinese is “chicken drumsticks mushroom” or “abalone mushroom”.  It is because of their shape resemblances the drumsticks, and their texture is similar to the abalone.  These mushrooms are super meaty and add so much texture to the dish.    



Simply julienne them into thin strips and they are ready to go.  Of course, thin strips mean faster cooking time too.



Up next, the sweet yellow onions.  Simply thinly sliced them and sautéed them until crisp-tender.  They add a wonderful tender-crisp texture and sweet flavor to this dish.  
 



Last but not least, the secret ingredient to make this dish 'semi-home made' (and my life much easier) is a can of vegetarian chop-suey (羅漢齋).  I buy these cans all the time and never pay attention to the English name until now.  :)  The term chop-suey literally means the mixture of many chopped ingredients.   Which is exactly what’s in this can.  There are bamboo shoots, straw mushrooms, fried gluten, carrots, fried tofu, fungus, baby corn, soy sauce, salt and sugar, etc.  It’s fully seasoned and the sauce in this can is delicious.  You don’t need to add much to the rest of your ingredients except white pepper and sesame oil. 
 


I’m seriously considering having 2 meatless days a week instead of just 1.   With a dish so healthy and so easy to make, why not?  The most important thing is, you’ll feel GOOD after eating it.  I can guarantee that you won’t even miss the meat (for that day, at least).  Try this recipe out, your body will thank you afterwards. 




I created this Vegetarian Chop Suey dish as an entry for April’s Kitchen Play sponsored by the National Onion Association. This dish is inspired by the Onion-Bacon Salad with Warm Crème Fraîche Dressing.  This is a cooked, Chinese version of the salad dish.  Why? It is because as much as my kids LOVE onions, they only eat them cooked.   They surely did enjoy this dish.
For more information about the Kitchen Play contest, please review the complete contest rules.
 

         

Vegetarian Chop-Suey (羅漢齋) Semi-Home Made:
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1/2 a medium yellow onion, julienned
1/2 carrot, cut into thin disks
20 Vegetarian Protein Sticks, soaked in hot tap water for 10-15 minutes, drain and gently squeeze out excess water
1 pound of baby Bak Choy
1 pound of King Trumpet Mushroom, julienned
1 can (14.5 ounce) vegetarian chop-suey (羅漢齋)
a pinch of white ground pepper
a dash of toasted sesame oil

In a wok or heavy-duty sauté pan with medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil or olive oil.  Sauté the onion, carrot and baby bak choy together until crisp tender, season with a little bit of salt if desired.  Remove to a large serving dish. 

In the same wok, add another 2 teaspoons of oil and sauté the King trumpet mushrooms until tender, 4-6 minutes depending on the size of your strips.   Season with a little bit of salt, a pinch of white ground pepper and a dash of sesame oil.  Taste one strip to check on seasoning and doneness.  Remember, don’t add too much salt as the canned chop-suey is well seasoned.  Remove to the same large serving dish with the bak choy mixture.

Next, pour the entire can of vegetarian chop-suey (羅漢齋) in the wok with the softened vegetarian protein sticks, cook until sauce is boiling.  Return the mushrooms and bak choy mixture back to the wok.  Stir occasionally and cook until heated through.  Check seasoning, add a pinch of pepper and a dash of sesame oil if needed.  Serve with a bowl of rice or noodle and enjoy.




This recipe is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
Foodie Friday
This Week's Craving

Broccoli-Beef and Shiitake Mushroom Rice Noodle

Just realized I haven’t post that many Asian or Chinese dishes on my blog.  You might see all kinds of breads, cookies, and desserts here.  But trust me, those are not what we normally consume everyday, although I have no problem with that at all…LOL.  On average, at least five out of seven days a week, I cook a traditional Chinese dinner, which includes steam rice and 1 to 2 main dishes that contains meat (or seafood) and vegetables.  I tend to make more simple dishes on the weekdays and perhaps make the more time consuming ones over the weekends.  Nevertheless, it’s still not a simple task to cook up 2 different dishes every night, let alone came up with new dishes to cook every day.



Thanks to my son, our dinner menu has been changed quite a bit lately!  He is a big time noodle lover, really, any kind of noodles.  Whenever I serve noodle instead of rice for lunch or dinner, he sits down quietly and finishes his plate in no time.  So, we’ve been eating noodles and pastas more often, well, a lot more often lately!  Happy kids, happy parents, why not?!  :)  Now, this Broccoli-Beef and Shiitake Mushroom Rice Noodle is one of the most requested dish in the house, beside spaghetti with meat balls and pink sauce.  It’s easy to make, delicious and very flavorful.  Of course, I have no problem cooking this, any day of the week.  Simply change up the protein and veggies and you got a whole new dish!  I used beef and ham here for the protein, you can substitute with shrimp, chicken, pork, squid or eggs.  Besides broccoli, you can use spinach, asparagus, carrots, enokitake mushroom, snow peas or bak choy for the veggies.  Why this dish is so delicious?  The secret is in the shiitake mushroom sauce and the noodle base seasonings.  Of course, I’ll include the recipe for you below.  After you try this recipe yourself, please kindly let me know how you like it.  :)  Once you’ve tried this recipe, maybe that would change up the dinner menu at your home, too.   

                                          **Giveaway**

Canadian Beef is sponsoring a wonderful giveaway at Kitchen Play. Simply recreate any one recipe from this month’s Progressive Party, post about the experience on your blog and provide a link to your post on Kitchen Play to enter.  All qualifying bloggers in each course will be entered to win $100 (6 prizes total).  This contest is open through February 28, 2011. Please review the complete contest rules before entering. Good luck!

I recreated the Thai-Inspired Beef and Vegetable Soup with Rice Noodles into my Broccoli-Beef and Shiitake Mushroom Rice Noodle.  Since I don’t think my son can stand the heat from the Thai chili,  this would be a more kids’ friendly version for him. 
 

                          

Broccoli-Beef and Shiitake Mushroom Rice Noodle:

Main Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) package rice noodle
1/2 pound beef flanks, cut across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices, then julienne to 2-inch long pieces
1 cup cooked ham, cut into thin strips
1 pound broccoli florets
10 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms, soak in hot water for at least 2 hours or over night
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons fish sauce (I used the brand called 3 Crabs Fish Sauce, it’s the best flavor fish sauce out there.)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
5 green onions, cut into 2-inch long pieces

Beef Marinate Ingredients:
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Shiitake Mushrooms Marinate Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
pinch of grounded white pepper

In a large stockpot, bring water to boil and blanch broccoli for a few minutes until crisp-tender.  Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon, set aside.  In the same pot, add the rice noodle and cook to el dente (check package instructions). Drain well and return noodles back to the pod.  Off the heat, add the fish sauce and sesame oil, mix well until all noodles are coated with seasonings.  Taste the noodle to check seasoning, add more fish sauce to suit your taste. 

Add the beef strips with the beef marinate ingredients and mix well, set aside.
Wash the re-hydrated mushrooms and squeeze out excess liquid.  Cut into 1/8-inch strips.  Mix mushrooms with mushroom marinate ingredients.  In a medium sauce pan on medium-high heat, add mushroom and sauté for 1 minute.  Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Turn heat to low and cover with a lid to simmer.  Stir occasionally to prevent mushrooms from sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Cook until 1/4 cup of liquid remains. 

Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan on medium-high heat.  Add a teaspoon of oil and sauté the beef strips until cooked through.  Remove from heat and add them into the broccoli.  In the same pan, sauté the ham for a few minutes until edges are slightly brown.  Remove from heat and add to the broccoli mixture.

Heat the pot of noodle on low, add broccoli-meat mixture to the pod, add mushrooms and all liquid/sauce into the noodle.  Stir and mix all ingredients together until noodle heated through.  Off the heat, mix in the green onion.  Serve warm.



This recipe is linked to:
Hearth and Soul Hope
Slight Indulgent Tuesday
Tuesday at the Table
Real Food Wednesday
Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Thanksgiving Feast

As promised, I took pictures of the Thanksgiving feast and here they are.  If you’re interested in getting the recipe of anything you see below, please leave me a comment and I’ll try to get the recipe for you.

                                   

“Self Serve” California Rolls—These are so much fun to eat, and delicious.  Take a piece of nori (seaweed) and wrap the sushi rice, crab meat, avocado, sesame seed filling to create your own individual roll.  Not to mention, it’s great idea for parties because there’s minimal prep work and the nori stays crispy.



Egg Rolls—Filled with vegetables and glass noodles.  Crispy and delicious!



Mixed Salad—which is, to mix your own vegetable with the store bought dressings next to it!  Hahaha…



Honey Glazed Ham—Nothing represent holiday food better than a leg of honey glazed ham…oh, maybe besides the turkey!  Almost forgot about the turkey :P



Glutinous Rice with Chinese Sausage and Shitake Mushroom—This is one of my favorites!  Sprinkle with a little bit chopped green onions on top and I can eat just that as my Thanksgiving dinner!  :D



Cheesy Penne Pasta with Broccoli and Cauliflower—Cheesy and delicious.



Korean Spicy Stir Fried Pork—This dish demonstrates the well balanced of the sweet and spicy!  I want to get the recipe to make it again at home!



Cream Corn—A holiday staple side-dish.



Orange Juice and Spices Brined Turkey—Juicy, flavorful and delicious.  I believe it looked beautiful too before it was carved.  :P



Creamy Mashed Potato—Smooth and creamy.



Roasted Beef—Great BBQ flavor and beefy.




Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow—Another holiday staple side-dish in our family.



Garlic Knots—Check out the recipe from my last post here.



Rice Cake with Red Bean Paste and Walnut—Not too sweet, the edges are crunchy and the center is chewy, very yummy.


I bet you don’t believe we only have one type of dessert for the Thanksgiving feast, right?  I need to confess that I totally forgot to take pictures when we started to eat the desserts!  :P  This particular picture was taken before dinner was served.  The rest of the goodness were all in our tummies and memories.  We had custard tarts, pumpkin pies, smoked almond turtles, taro cakes, flan, etc.  They were all sweet and delicious.  Oh well, I’ll make it up to you by posting something sweet on my next blog post.  ;)