Buche De Noel

The first step is to make a sheet cake that is thin and be careful not to overcook it so that it dries and can become hard to roll. Here is that piece :

Chocolate Genoise Sheet:

• 3 large eggs
• egg yolks and whites separated  
• Pinch salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cake flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• Special equipment: 10 by 15-inch jelly-roll pan, buttered and lined with buttered parchment

1. Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk the yolks, salt, and sugar together in the bowl. Sift in slowly the cake flour. Next, add the sifted cocao.
3. In a medium stainless steel bowl beat the egg whites until still if needed add an 1/8 tsp of cream of tartar.
4. Use a rubber spatula to fold in half the egg whites with the flour/cocoa mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with the other half of the egg whites.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until well risen, deep and firm to the touch. (Make sure the cake doesn't overbake and become too dry, or it will be hard to roll.)

Invert the cake onto a clean damp cloth or another sheet of parchment paper and let the cake cool right side up on the paper. Remove the paper when the cake is cool. You are ready to spread your desired cream.

We blended ;
Cream filling

500 grams of Chestnut cream
½ stick of softened butter

Whipping the both together until the cream is soft enough to spread on the genoise.
Okay the rolling, Chloe and Jacqueline really helped each other here. One rolling gently, and the other pulling the cloth away and making sure that the roll did not crack. Although, the second roll we did for a New Year’s eve party did crack, we just rolled with it. (Couldn’t resist the pun there) and made it look as if the log had cracked and mushrooms were growing out of it. We were really happy about it !!!
Then we let it sit to cool in the fridge uncovered to further and assume the roll position before we ventured to spread the frosting.

Butter Cream Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ sticks of softened butter
Cocoa powdered (optional)
2 tsp vanilla

When we creamed together the above ingredients. Chloe cut the butter up in small pieces, and put all of it in the cuisinart. Chloe has found that this little machine is extremely helpful in just such situations. The powdered sugar goes in little by little. And about half way through we add the vanilla. Then more sugar.

For the first time ever this year I was told that the Buche de Noel has a history all its own which I was not aware of. During the winters in France it is said that the Buche – log that was placed on the fire was symbol to the reuniting of the family around the warmth of the hearth. Another story is that Napoleon 1er mandated the closing of chimneys in order to prevent cold drafts running through homes supposedly the cause of spreading disease. Although Napoleon 1er reign lasted only until 1821 and the buche de noel started in late 1800’s.

_This literally means a tarte from the sky or the heavens. And that is truly the place it takes yo as you bite into this dense, incredibly moist cake. It reminds me of the inside of a almond croissant you know, the best part of it - the inside. Or a bear claw. It's the part you tear through the bear claw to get to. It was so cool to make this cake and decorate it because I got the idea to use powdered sugar to cover up some not so perfect spots. So I cut out a sword template out of paper and then just sprinkled the powdered sugar over it and then took off the paper and my cool sword appeared.
I love this cake because I can eat it in the morning warm with a little honey. Or at school, because since it has so much almond protein it keeps me full for a good part of the day. This cake has great taste and is something I'm sure most of you will enjoy the whole process from grinding almonds to eating it. 
Hey did I mention that this was a winner ....

_

First off we decided that there are two different crusts that we like depending on the fruit we have. Stone fruit like…..

We use Cornmeal crust
Other fruits that are not as meaty or more delicate like strawberries and ….

  We use the classic French Pie crust – pate a tarte . The crust is not over powering. 

Imagination : what do you like with Fruit? Mint leaves, nuts, jams ?

We have also added in zest of lemon and orange in our crusts when we make galettes or regular tarts and pies. It is pretty yummy. 

Don’t forget that crusts don’t have to be used for sweet stuff only …. Quiches are savory…. Hummm.

 
Cornmeal Pie Crust

2 1/3 cup of all purpose flour (it can be whole wheat)
¾ cup yellow cormeal
¼ cup sugar
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup of room temperature butter 
Pinch of salt

  Zac, Jacqueline and I have decided that making a pie crust in the cuisinart is the greatest thing. It makes up the dough quickly and it is super smooth when it comes out of the container. The old fashioned way is fine too – kneading it with your hands.

Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Add the cubed butter, and apple cider vinegar and mix until all the ingredients are blended together. Let rest 20 minutes.

 

Classic French Pie Crust

2 cups All purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
Pinch of salt
½ cup butter room temperature

In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients together. Then add the cubed butter, and egg and mix together with flour.  Let the pie crust rest 20-30 minutes before rolling it out.



Blueberry Galettes

  2 ½ cups blueberries
2 tsp flour
3 teaspoon  sugar ( white )
Juice of one lemon
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 egg yolk (to paint the crust)
1 tablespoon of turbinado sugar ( to sprinkle on crust)

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl mix the berries, juice. Then add the flour, zest, and sugar together.
Place the fruit mix onto the rolled pie crust. Fold over the sides leaving most of the fruit exposed.
Take the yolk of the egg and a paint brush to brush the crust. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar. This makes it look really cool.

Cook 25 minutes.

Imagination : we used some dried lavender flowers from our garden to sprinkle on top of the crust just to make it look nice and it does it is a nice flavor.

 

Super Lemony Tart -

If you don’t like it too tart like a sour head then just reduce the juice a bit and the zest amount and it will be less pucker sour. For this tart I use the classic pie crust. I realized that cornmeal and lemon don’t really mix together.

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 yolks
¾ cup sugar
¾ lemon juice (yup – told you it was lemony)
2 tablespoons of lemon zest (wow – get ready for sourhead city)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Remember to be whisking the whole time while you are adding each of the ingredients. Usually it is my sister and I making this together. I whisk (I am the strongest J) she pours.

Whisk the eggs and yolks together, then add in the sugar.  Whisk together for a minute or so to make sure it is all blended together really well. Then add the lemon juice little by little. Last add the lemon zest.

Roll out your pie crust and place into the pie mold. Trim off the edges. Place parchment paper on the pie crust and beans or rice (something to keep the crust down while it is baking)  on top of the paper.

Bake the pie crust for 15 minutes

Pull from oven let cool 10 minutes. Then pour the lemony filling. Bake another 25 minutes.

 

_Seems like everyone wants to wrap up their fruit in pie crust and have a new name for it. Actually these aren’t really new names; Pies are a classic American and English way to hold fruit and even savory meats.


Pies have a crust on the bottom as well as the top. Often a couple of little holes and slits on the top, because when cooked the steam has to be able to get out somehow.

Tarts – are open faced, they do not have a crust on the top. So the fruit or the filling is plainly visible. I think it is opened face that we can see the pretty arrangement of fruits. It is also nice to see what you are eating.

Galettes, even though they are kind of new to America they aren’t new in Europe. It used to be that the left over pie crust that was not large enough to make up an entire tart was used with the extra fruit, so as not to waste the fruit and bits of crust.

 
We have a couple of takes on a Galette in particular because it’s always been an easy way for my sister and brother to make up a fruit dessert even though we did not really have the skill to make up a fancy pie or tart with its fancy sides. You know the ones with the pinching and curls and such. For kids a Galette is a free form creation that does not go into a pie mold but onto a piece of parchment paper that lies on a baking dish. You can fold over as much or as little of the crust as you would like. If you want to sprinkle some raw sugar or almonds after you brush the egg yolk on the fold you can. You can let your imagination run wild on that.

Galettes are rustic and down to earth dessert they are not meant to be fancy just good eating. That is why we like them.


We have a couple of takes on a Galette in particular because it’s always been an easy way for my sister and brother to make up a fruit dessert even though we did not really have the skill to make up a fancy pie or tart with its fancy sides. You know the ones with the pinching and curly’s and such. It is a free form artistic creation that does not go into a pie mold but onto a piece of parchment paper that lies on a baking dish.

Galettes are rustic and down to earth dessert they are not meant to be fancy just good eating.

_  Marscapone After school snack

Tartines – toasts, are a big after school snack in France. Since these weeks we have been paying tribute to French foods, its seems right for us to focus on what kids in France eat after school. Tartines are dressed in many a varieties from the basic bread and nutella, strips of chocolate wedged into fresh bread, to jams and cheeses.

Chloe greatly enjoys this Tartine and will tell you all about it.

I am a cream cheese fan, so mascarpone fits right in there for me they taste a lot alike. Mixing in, mascarpone and cream cheese and vanilla then adding my little toppings to give me the energy boost I need after a hard day at school.

 
Ingredients  (enough to last me a week – keep it in a covered container)
½ cup of mascarpone cheese
½ cup of cream cheese – softened
1 tspn vanilla
3 tspn milk

Imagination : These are some of the toppings I like.

Toppings
½ banana sliced
Small handful of walnuts
Honey – enough for a little drizzle

You can use raisins, cranberries, fresh fruits . What types of fruits you do you like?  Do you like honey or what about a touch of agave …?

_  Walnut Tart – Tarte aux Noix

The countryside in Quercy France abounds with walnut groves. Where there is a vineyard you will see walnut trees. In late October and November  the markets of that area have them displayed in every possible way.
The French go out on walks in the countryside on the weekends usually after a nice lunch. Many bring their baskets and pick up wth fallen walnuts with their kids and use them in their cooking at home.

This Walnut tarte is different than a pecan pie, because it does not have corn syrup but more of a caramel type filling. Also it is chilled and not baked with the filling.

 
1 stick butter
1 pie crust (classic French pie crust is on the front page)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cream
2 1/4 cups roughly chopped walnuts
Salt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place aluminum foil the size of the crust and smear it with butter; lay buttered side onto crust. Weight foil with a pile of dried beans or rice (keep them - they can always be reused ), or use pie weights, or a tight-fitting ovenproof skillet or saucepan -- anything that will sit flat on the pie surface. Bake 12 minutes, then remove foil and continue to bake at 350 degrees, until crust is a beautiful shade of brown, another few minutes. Let cool on a rack and prepare filling.

2. Put sugar in a heavy medium inch saucepan and add  a tablespoon of water and turn heat to medium. Cook, gently shaking pan occasionally, until sugar dissolves; then cook, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon until mixture has a golden color.

3. Turn heat to low, add butter and slowly add the cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is uniform. Stir in walnuts and a large pinch of salt if you like (we really like the flavor of the caramel taste with a bit of salt ) spread the filling onto the crust. Refrigerate for about an hour, then sprinkle with a little more salt and serve.

 

_PETITS POTS DE CREME

4 egg yolks
1egg
1/3 cups sugar
1 2/3 cup  heavy cream
1-2 tsp of vanilla extract

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Place cream and vanilla into saucepan and bring to near boil for about 5 minutes. I like a strong vanilla flavor so I let it simmer another 2-3 minutes. Cream in a medium bowl the egg yolks, egg and sugar. Strain the milk into the sugar and egg mixture while stirring.
Ladle the mixture into your ramekins. Place the ramekins into a pan of water that goes half way up the ramekins.
Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the custard is firm.

Use your imagination and change it up :

Chocolate Petits Pots de Crème – add 4 tspn of powdered chocolate into the egg/sugar mixture.

Lemon custard – add only 1 tspn Vanilla and ½ tspn lemon zest

 PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Place cream and vanilla into saucepan and bring to near boil for about 5 minutes. I like a strong vanilla flavor so I let it simmer another 2-3 minutes. Cream in a medium bowl the egg yolks, egg and sugar.

Strain the milk into the sugar and egg mixture while stirring.

Ladle the mixture into your ramekins. Place the ramekins into a pan of water that goes half way up the ramekins.

Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the custard is firm.
 

_The orange tango or Orange Gervais famous in France in cafes especially in the south of France because it does a great job of cooling you off. A spin off on the regular sherbet this is actually served in the orange chilled, and perfect.  

ORANGE TANGO RECIPE FOR THE BOLD, FOR THE ADVENTURER AND THE HOT

What you'll need - 6 ripe juicy oranges
                             1 can condensed milk

What you'll need to do: 5 easy steps to a chillin' desert

1) Cut off the tops of oranges  and gently sqeeze out the juice, without breaking the skin. Save the juice. 

2) Scoop out the rest of the orange interior with a spoon in order to make a pretty bowl.

3) Use a blender and add together the condensed milk and the orange juice.

4) Pour mixture into empty oranges bowls and place in freezer for three hours or over night.

5) To serve, remove the orange tango from freezer, grab a small teaspoon (makes it last longer) and dig in.
No better way to beat the heat. 

Zac thinks it’s a great way to cool down after a hard work out or sports practice. He’ll make a batch the night before, save the scooped out pulp and use it in an early morning smoothie- pretty smart!