Buche de Noel...

That would be French for "Cake shaped like a log".

AKA: Yule log cake.

I had to try it. I love to make cakes. I make a cake for the kid's birthdays every year. Let's just say countless Wilton cake pans ok? Right before we moved to Maine- I sold them 'gasp'. Yes I finally sold them. I had to let go. I just don't need Barbie or Bob the Builder. Anywho, I have made many, many a cake. Hands still hurt sisters.

Traditionally we have a home made desert for Christmas. This year my husband suggested the 'Buche de Noel'. I went on the search. Google is my friend but in the end I went with the recipe from Cuisine magazine. The sponge cake was a light orange and the buttercream was chocolate that I made dark with a hint of coffee. Lovely & even more lovely.

Where I went wrong: I rolled the cake from the short end and not from the long side. I call it very excited to get this thing going. Cake was fat and short which only left me enough for one limb on top (usually there is one on top and one on the side) She was still tasty! I made the mushrooms from Marzipan and sprinkled them with cocoa. The rosemary was brushed with egg white and dusted with sugar and paired with red sugared candies. These were pure decoration although Ethan tried to eat a mushroom. He ended up NOT eating it- LOL

I am thrilled to say it was yummy and I felt like Julia Child the whole time. Ok, not really.

Happy Baking!

Tracey

01-01-10

Happy New Year to everyone! What a splendid looking date {01-01-10} don't you agree?
Are you ready for a fresh start like I am? Of course I have most of the same resolutions as last year. Lose weight, get healthy, blah blah. I am giving it another shot but most of all I am glad to have another shot. I've thought quite a bit about who we lost last year. Seems like too many famous folk left us before their time should have run out. Sad stuff.

So I sit here with a grateful heart that I have another go at it, that my kids are all home, safe and healthy, that I have a nice comfy home to lounge in, great neighbors who had us over for a dinner party last night- gosh that was such a good time. A superman husband who is actually sleeping right now (grateful for that too-lol) grateful for that "System Restore" function on my computer that seems to have fixed the wormish bug that Internet Explorer presented me with this morning, awesome friends whom I wish I could spend more time with but since they live so far what is a girl to do, I am also grateful for my little box of new CTMH goodies that I ordered on Dec 18th but got a UPS notice of a Dec 29th delivery then it showed up on Christmas Eve- say it ain't so- that rocks! Grateful for those crazy, comfy slippers that Karen sent me (my family is having a field day with them- I refuse to tell what the big guy did last night with them)& the album too (which just saved me a weeks worth of work because I needed one done for Ethan's elf). I am also grateful for LuAnn back in Ohio who is really trying hard to sell our house. I have faith that it is going to happen soon. It is so much easier to go through life being positive. I think that is my top priority this new year. Staying positive & having gratitude even in the little things.

Cheers to a new year and all the blessings it brings!
Tracey