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

Napoleon Mascarpone Cheesecake with Pomegranate-Rose Meringue Cookies

My family always has a different preference on the flavor of desserts.  My husband is a big fan of chocolate, and dislike strawberry, or any kinds of berries, period.  My kids are big fans on ANY kinds of berries and fruit, especially strawberries.  For me?  I’m the least picky person in the house.  I basically eat anything (I’m such a pig). 



Why am I telling you this? Because that’s how this cake was created. To please everyone with a dessert. I’m so glad each of my family member loves a different kind of food/ flavor. That always give me opportunity to explore and try new things.  



When my husband first saw the cake, his reaction was “wow, this looks delicious!” Despite there’s strawberries in the cake, which was quite obvious from that pink color. When he took the first bite, he exclaimed, “hm….this is so good….” Then he kept quiet because he was too busy eating. You know what, I think he does like strawberries, after all.




My kids both had a big piece of this cake during afternoon tea.  Chocolate, vanilla and strawberries all in one bite, what’s not to like?  The good thing about this cake is the lightness.  It’s super moist, light and fluffy.  The sweetness is just right and you won’t feel guilty eating a huge piece.



I top it off with some Pomegranate-Rose Meringue Cookies.  These cookies are airy and light.  It’s sweet, as all meringue cookies are, with a hint of tanginess from the Pomegranate powder.  The pure rose extract adds a hint of floral tone to the cookies and compliment wonderfully with the Pomegranate flavor.  It’s super crispy so it gives a nice contrast to the cake’s texture.  




If you’re thinking of a cake to make for gatherings or celebrations, this would be an elegant yet easy to prepare type of cake to bring to the party.  Best of all, you can make the Pomegranate-Rose Meringue Cookies a day or two ahead of time and keep them in an air-tight container for freshness.  Just make sure you store some for the cake decoration before you snacked all of them before the party. 








Napoleon Mascarpone Cheesecake (Printable Recipe)
Makes 1 9-inch round cake
Ingredients

5 eggs, separated and at room temperature
a pinch of Kosher salt
3/4 cup caster sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup whipping cream
11/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons strawberries preserves
powdered sugar, for garnish
Some Pomegranate-Rose Meringue Cookies, for garnish (recipe follow)
boiling water (for water bath while baking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9-inch spring-form cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper on the bottom and sides. Wrap 2 layers of foil paper on the outside of the cake pan to prevent water from going into the cake pan while baking.

Separate egg whites from egg yolks. Make sure there’s no yolks in the whites. In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg whites with a pinch of Kosher and cream of tartar until egg white is soft peak.  Gradually add half of the sugar, beating on high speed until egg white is medium peak. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat mascarpone cheese with remaining half of the sugar until smooth and fluffy.  Whisk in whipping cream, egg yolks, vanilla extract and lemon juice until well combined. Turn mixer on low, add flour, and cornstarch until just combined.

Equally divide batter into 3 separate bowls, fold cocoa powder into one, and fold strawberry preserves into another and leave one plain.

Equally divide beaten egg whites into each of the cake batter until just incorporated (Do not over mix).
Pour chocolate batter on the bottom of the prepared spring form pan and spread batter into a smooth and even layer.  Gently pour the vanilla batter on top followed by the strawberry batter.  Carefully smooth the surface.

Place cake pan into a larger roasting pan and place roasting pan in lower third rack of the oven.  Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come half way up the side of the cake pan.

Bake 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the center comes out clean.
Remove cake from roasting pan.  Carefully remove foil from the spring form pan and cool on a wiring rack.  When cake is completely cooled, remove the sides of the pan, dust with powdered sugar and decorate with Pomegranate-Rose Meringue Cookies. 

Pomegranate-Rose Meringue Cookies (Printable Recipe)
Makes 40 cookies


3 large pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
a pinch of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup caster (superfine baker's) sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon pure rose extract (it's really strong, so a little goes a long way)
1/4 cup freeze dried pomegranate powder

Preheat the oven 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until frothy, about 2 minutes. With the machine on medium-high speed, gradually add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time.  Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is thick, shiny and holds stiff peaks, about 7 to 8 minutes.  Then add the vanilla extract, rose extract, and pomegranate powder.  Beat until ingredients are incorporated.

Scrape the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip and pipe the cookies onto the lined baking sheets. Starting in the middle and make 1 1/2 circles, about 1 1/2-inch in diameter and 1 1/2-inch apart.

Bake the meringues until they are firm, about 2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave them in there overnight.

If meringue are not totally dry, bake for an additional 15 minutes at 200 degrees F will crisp them up again.


Recipe Linked with:

Sweets for Saturday
Melt in your Mouth Monday
I'm Lovin' It
Pink Saturday

Marx Foods Challenge — Fregola Sarda Pudding and Ginger Snap Cookies — Vegan Friendly Recipes

I was thrilled to be selected to participate in the Marx Foods Fregola Sarda Blogger Recipe Challenge—Dessert!  Marx Foods carries the world’s finest foods, from meat, seafood, produce, to herbs, spices, sauces and even desserts, & etc.  If you haven’t been to their site, it’s time to check it out, my foodies friends.  You’ll be amazed by the varieties of products they carry, even hard to find ingredients.





For this particular challenge, Marx Foods sent me a sample package of Medium Fregola Sarda (Italian couscous), Vanilla Beans, Star Anise, and Saffron Threads as shown in the picture above.  (Please feel free to click on each ingredient to learn more about them.)  The rule of the challenge is to use the fregola to create a dessert recipe along with at least one of the other three ingredients in the sample package.  Sounds like fun, huh?  It really is. 



The samples Marx Food sent me was in high quality. The fragrant and aroma were wonderful when I opened the package.  Imagine how good my kitchen smelled as I was preparing my dishes using these ingredients! They were simply awesome.  I was up to the challenge and I couldn’t resist from using everything (instead of just '1 other ingredient' as the rules have stated) from my sample package. All the ingredients went so well with each other in the recipe I created. The quality of these ingredients surely makes a big difference.



The recipe that I created, Fregola Sarda Pudding, was inspired by the marriage of (the appearance of) rice pudding and (the flavor and appearance of) a traditional dessert from Hong Kong 椰汁西米露 (using coconut milk and tapioca).  The result was amazing!  Over all, it’s a rich, fragrant and satisfying dessert.  The texture was silky, smooth, and tender.  The sweetness from the vanilla bean balanced really well with the nutty flavor from the fregola (because of the toasting process, that's why the color of the fregola varies from a light creamy tan to a very dark brown).  The liquorish flavor from the star anise balanced out the richness from the coconut milk; and the cloves added a depth of flavor to the over all dessert.  The saffron thread added a pungent earthy and slightly bittersweet flavor to the fregola which went nicely with the nutty flavor from the fregola.  The saffron threads also imparted the yellow color to the fregola, which was fun, vibrant and simply exotic!



The warmth flavors from the Fregola Sarda Pudding really reminded me of fall and winter.  I couldn't help but to pair it with some Gingersnap cookies for a crunchy contrast.  I love that contrast in the textures.  Mind you, these gingersnap cookies really snap!  They are crunchy and the flavor goes hand in hand with the Fregola Sarda Pudding.



Boy, I just love this close up picture above.  You can totally see the vanilla seeds on the fregola pudding!  It’s such a fun dessert to prepare and to serve.  I’m sure my vegan friends would be especially happy that I have another lovely recipe that they can enjoy.  Thank you all for visiting and reading today.  Hope you would love the recipes as much as my family does.

Judging:
After December 4th, Marx Foods will post links to all entered recipes on the Marx Foods blog & two champions will be picked.  One will be selected via reader poll on their blog.  The other will be chosen by the participants of this Challenge and the MarxFoods.com staff.

The  Prize:
Each champion will receive $100 worth of baking ingredients from MarxFoods.com (their choice). 


Disclaimer: I received the sample package as shown on this post from Marx Foods for free to participate in the Fregola Dessert Challenge for a chance to win the contest prize.  I was not compensated in any other way to write this post.  All opinions are 100% my own and always will be.




Fregola Sarda Pudding (Vegan friendly)
Serves 4 Printable Recipe

2 cups coconut milk
2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
2-inch fresh ginger root, peeled and slightly smashed with the back of a knife
1 star anise
2 cloves
a generous pinch of saffron threads
1 vanilla bean
1 cup Fregola Sarda

In a medium pot, bring coconut milk and water to a boil.  Reduce to low heat, add sugar, ginger root, star anise, cloves and saffron into the pot to simmer. 

Split the vanilla bean in half, length-wise.  Scrape the seeds inside and add both the seeds and the vanilla pod into the coconut mixture.  Rinse the fregola sarda in cold water, then add them into the pot and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the size), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.   

After simmering for 15 to 20 minutes, remove from heat and cover the pot with a lid.  Let the fregola sarda pudding stand for another 10 minutes to fully absorbed the liquid.

When ready to serve, check the doneness of the fregola sarda.  Remove the vanilla pod, start anise and cloves.  You can return the pot to low heat and warm up the pudding right before serving.

Gingersnap Cookies (Vegan friendly)
Makes 36 to 40 cookies Printable Recipe

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground star anise*
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons soymilk (or coconut milk)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeded (or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.  In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, star anise and cloves until well combined, set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the canola oil, molasses, soymilk(or coconut milk), sugar, vanilla bean seeds (or vanilla extract), stir until blended.  Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient mixture.  Stir until well incorporated.

On a lightly floured surface and rolling pin, roll the dough into 3/8-inch thickness.  Floured a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter and stamp out cookies (use a small, round cookie cutter to stamp out the center to create the one hanging on the spoon as shown in the picture).  Place cut out cookie dough on prepared baking sheet, place each one at least 1/2-inch apart. 

Bake for 7-8 minutes, let cool on the baking sheet until cool enough to handle.  Transfer to a wiring rack to cool completely.  Enjoy with the Fregola Sarda pudding or store in an air tight container.

*Note: I used a mortar and pestle to grind my spices.  You can also use a spice grinder/coffee grinder to do the job.  But be sure to clean it well before and after grinding.  Or, simply dedicate one for spices.  Click here to get some tips from Marx Foods on grinding whole spices.




This recipe is shared with:

Sweets for Saturday
On the Menu Monday
Tuesday Talent Show
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Full Plate Thursday

Almond Cookie Crisps

If you’ve been to a Chinese bakery, you would have probably seen these Almond Cookie Crisps.  They are usually packaged in small plastic treat bags going for $4 to $5 for just 10 or 12 cookies.  Yeah, kind of pricy but they are ridiculously good.  I obviously don’t want to pay $5 anymore for just 10 little cookies (although I had in the past, many many times when I lived closer to a Chinese bakery).  Now, I can make my own at home.  Besides saving a whole lots of money, I can enjoy these anytime I want.  *I’m doing a happy dance here when these little cookies are out of the oven!* 

The ingredients in these cookies are simple.  There are egg white, sugar, flour, salt, almond, a little butter and vanilla extract, that’s all. Yes, very simple ingredients, but that can turn into something truly amazing. Here’s a warning, these cookies care ADDITIVE! Super ADDITIVE!  Okay, you’re officially warned.



These Almond Cookie Crisps are crispy, crunchy, nutty and with a hint of vanilla.  I love to hear that crunch when you bite into one.  They’re even semi-see-through too.  They are perfect for Christmas gift-giving as well.  Hm…with a glass of milk, I can easily finish the whole batch on my own... truly some very dangerous stuff!



Not only there are just a few ingredients involved in these cookie recipe, they are super easy to make, too.  All you need is a small mixing bowl, measuring spoons, measuring cups, and a whisk.  Yes, you don’t even need to take out the hand held mixer.  The key to making these cookies super thin and crispy is to spread a small amount of the batter out.  Then, make sure the almond flakes are in a single layer, which do need a little time and patience to get the whole batch done, and so it is worth it.  Or, simply ask your kids to help out spreading them out.  It would be a fun baking project together. 



Today marks the very first day of a school year for my little boy, who started pre-school in less than a year ago.  It is also my first "back to school" experience as a Mom.  These cookies are perfect as after school snacks.  I'm sure he'll love these cookies, as much as his Mommy does.  I'm so proud of my little boy!






I'm submitting this recipe to Holiday Recipe Swap.  Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by OXO.



Almond Cookie Crisp: (Adopted from Agnes Chang’s Baking Made Easy)
Print This Recipe
Makes 42 to 45 cookies (depending on the size)

2 large egg whites, room temperature
a pinch of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons castor sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup almond slices
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven 325F. Line baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk egg white, salt, vanilla extract and sugar until foamy.  Whisk until sugar is completely dissolved.  Whisk in flour until no lumps.  Then, gently fold in almond slices and butter.

Spoon 1 to teaspoon of batter onto prepared baking sheet and spread batter into a 2 to 3-inch circle.  Make sure the almonds flakes are not overlapping each other.  Spoon the rest of the batter on baking sheet with each cookie at least 1-inch apart. Might need to bake cookies in batches.

Bake 9 to 12 minutes depending on their size, rotate baking sheet once during baking.  Bake until slightly golden brown.  Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on wire rack.  Cookies will crisp up once completely cool.

*Do not over bake them because they tend to turn a little more golden brown after they're out of the oven.

This recipe is shared with:

Full Plate Thursday
Foodie Friday
Friday Favorite
I'm Lovin' It
Friday Potluck
Fresh Food Friday
Fat Camp Friday
Sweets For Saturday
Family Fresh Cooking
Savory Sunday
Mingle Monday
Making You Crave Monday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
This Week's Craving
On the Menu Monday
Everyday Sister Sharing Sunday
Tuesday Talent Show

Happy Birthday—Baby Girl

In the past birthday parties for my little boy, I’ve made Japanese Cheesecake to celebrate.  You can check out the recipe and pictures here.  The Japanese Cheesecake was super easy to make, light, fluffy and anyone who’ve tried it would love it and ask for the recipe.

For baby girl’s birthday this year, I decided to make something new.  Something more girly for her. 



Plus, I’ve got an incentive to make a more girly cake.  It’s the lovely pink stand that you’re seeing in these pictures.  I purchased this cake stand from the Amazon gift card granted by the Fairy Hopmother.  Here’s the detail if you’ve missed that post.  How could I not create a girly cake to match this lovely cake stand?  Plus, my kids love strawberries and it’s the peak season to enjoy them.



This cake might sounds similar to the Meyer Lemon and Strawberry Mousse Cake that I’ve created before.  But in fact, they were quite different.  With my baby girl’s birthday cake, I used the Meyer Lemon Cake recipe here.  Baked it in an 8-inch round cake pan and split it in half to create 2 layers. The previous Meyer Lemon cake was a vanilla sponge cake.  Along with the fresh strawberries in between the lemon and strawberry mousse layers, I also added some Lemon syrup onto the top of the cake.  The Meyer lemon flavor was a lot more intense compared to the previous layered mousse cake that I've made.  However, the sponge cake portion of the earlier version was more soft and more fluffy.



Another difference is the mousse layer.  Instead of making the Lemon Mousse from scratch, I used the Meyer Lemon curd that I had on hand and folded in some whipped cream, and that was it.  Super simple.  Here’s the recipe for the Meyer Lemon Curd.  I managed to make extras for our guests to take home too. 



I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took the time to celebrate my baby girl’s birthday with us.  Thank you for all the wonderful gifts, warm wishes and precious memories.  Including all of you, who visited my blog today.  Thank you!

I wish my baby girl to be healthy, happy and beautiful as she always is.  Happy Birthday again, my sweetie!





This post is linked to:

Sweets for Saturday
Sweet Treats Thursday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
On the Menu Monday
Fresh Food Friday
I’m Loving It
Everyday Sister Sharing Sunday