The Cook Book Challenge - Week 6 : Christmas

Week 6 : Christmas

Recipe :  Buche de Noel

Cook Book : Nigella Lawson. Feast

This year, Noche Buena was at my parent's home.  My mum cooked up 2 roasts and sides.  My sis in law and I was in charge of dessert though my mum also baked some too.

I decided to make buche de noel from Nigella Lawson's cookbook.  The cake was a flourless one, therefore making it light, airy and fluffy.  I found the icing too sweet so if I am to make this again, I will definitely cut down on the amount of icing sugar.

For the cake:

6 eggs, separated

150g caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

50g cocoa

For the icing:

175g dark chocolate

250g icing sugar

225g soft butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180degC .  Line a swiss roll tin with baking paper, leaving a generous overhang at the ends and sides.

In a large, clean bowl whisk the egg whites until foamy and thick, then add 50g of the sugar and continue whisking until the whites are holding peaks but not dry.  In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar until they are pale and thick.  Add the vanilla extract and sieve over the cocoa, then fold both in.  Lighten the yolk mixture with a couple of dollops of the whites, folding in gently and then add the whites in thirds, mixing carefully to avoid losing the air.

Pour the cake mixture into the lined tin, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  Let the cake cool a little before turning it out on to another piece of baking paper.

To make the icing, melt the chocolate and let it cool.  Mix the icing sugar and better together until smooth.  Add the cool, melted chocolate and vanilla and mix again till smooth.

Trim the long edges of the swiss roll, as well as the shortest edge which should be towards you.  Spread some yule log with of the icing thinly over the sponge, going right out to the edges.  Roll up from the short side facing you taking care to get a tight roll from the beginning and roll up to meet the other short end.  Cut one or both ends slightly, at a gentle angle.

Use the sponge trimmings to make branches as you wish, and then ice the remaining icing, covering the cut-off ends as well.  Create wood-like texture by going along the length of the log with a skewer, etching in knots.  Remember to do wibbly circles, as in tree rings, on each end.

Week 7 theme is "soft".  hmmm... what to cook?

Bon Appetite,

Cherrie