The Holiday Sweet: My #3 Favorite Holiday Dessert
Everyone has a favorite holiday sweet, the trouble for me is deciding which of my favorite holiday sweets is number one. In previous discussions of Christmas desserts, I’ve ranked Linzer Tart Cookies, my favorite cookie for Christmas as number 5. Croquembouche became a contemporary favorite of my holiday sweets after culinary school, and I’ve ranked it number 4 on my list of sweet Christmas dishes.
When it comes to holiday cake, none beats Bouche Noel in my opinion. The Yule log holiday cake can be decorated in so many unique ways and really take your imagination further than a round, two-layer cake for the holidays.
Bouche Noel looks more difficult to prepare than it is. It’s a jelly roll cake laid on its side and arranged to look like a fallen tree limb. I’ve demonstrated the French genoise sponge cake method in videos before. It’s a very thin, pliable cake that’s created using the sponge mixing method.
This holiday cake isn’t round and flat. It’s iced and rolled into a long tube. 45 degree cuts can be made in the roll and placed at an angle to resemble branches coming off the tree. Using a star-tip pastry bag, you can pipe your icing onto the cake so it looks like tree bark.
Here’s the most fun holiday cake garnishing tip I know. Try to find interesting leaves outside. Wash and dry them, and paint them with tempered chocolate. When the chocolate re-sets, peel the leaf back and get all the natural texture from nature in a piece of chocolate garnish for a holiday cake.
Bouche Noel is a different type of holiday cake to consider this year. It makes a fantastic visual appeal before and after it’s sliced. It’s my number three favorite holiday sweet.
Turn Holiday Cooking Stress into Holiday Cooking Success this year.