In the realm of holiday baking, Buche de Noel takes center stage with its captivating log-shaped elegance and rich, decadent flavors. This classic French Yule Log cake embodies the spirit of Christmas with its intricate design and delicious taste. To craft this delightful dessert, we present to you a collection of enticing recipes that guide you through the art of making Marzipan, the sweet almond paste that forms the base of Buche de Noel.
Our recipes encompass various approaches to creating this delectable treat, catering to diverse tastes and skill levels. For those seeking a traditional experience, we have a classic Marzipan recipe that stays true to the original preparation, using a combination of ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites. If you prefer a more modern twist, explore our Chocolate Marzipan variation that incorporates rich cocoa powder for an indulgent twist.
Furthermore, we offer a versatile Marzipan recipe that can be adapted to suit specific dietary needs. This version utilizes a combination of almond flour and coconut oil, making it a gluten-free and vegan-friendly option without compromising on taste.
No matter your choice, each recipe provides detailed instructions and helpful tips to ensure success in your Marzipan-making journey. Embark on this culinary adventure and create a stunning Buche de Noel that will be the centerpiece of your festive table, impressing your loved ones with your baking prowess.
BUCHE DE NOEL
Steps:
- To make the buttercream: Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot. Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Dissolve the instant coffee in the liquor and beat into the buttercream.
- Turn the genoise layer over and peel away the paper. Invert onto a fresh piece of paper. Spread the layer with half the buttercream. Use the paper to help you roll the cake into a tight cylinder Transfer to baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until set. Reserve the remaining buttercream for the outside of the buche.
- To make the marzipan: Combine the almond paste and 1 cup of the sugar in the bowl of the electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until the sugar is almost absorbed. Add the remaining 1 cup sugar and mix until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add half the corn syrup, then continue mixing until a bit of the marzipan holds together when squeezed, adding additional corn syrup a little at a time, as necessary; the marzipan in the bowl will still appear crumbly. Transfer the marzipan to a work surface and knead until smooth.
- To make marzipan mushrooms: Roll 1/3 of the marzipan into a 6-inch long cylinder and cut into 1-inch lengths. Roll half the lengths into balls. Press the remaining cylindrical lengths (stems) into the balls (caps) to make mushrooms. Smudge with cocoa powder. To make holly leaves: Knead green color into 1/2 the remaining marzipan and roll it into a long cylinder. Flatten with the back of a spoon, then loosen it from the surface with a spatula. Cut into diamonds to make leaves, or use a cutter.
- To make holly berries: Knead red color into a tiny piece of marzipan. Roll into tiny balls.
- To make pine cones, knead cocoa powder into the remaining marzipan. Divide in half and form into 2 cone shapes. Slash the sides of cones with the points of a pair of scissors.
- Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end. Position the larger cut piece on the buche about 2/3 across the top. Cover the buche with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump. Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark. Transfer the buche to a platter and decorate with the marzipan. Sprinkle the platter and buche sparingly with confectioners' sugar "snow."
- Storage: Keep at cool room temperature. Cover leftovers loosely and keep at room temperature.
- Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
- Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.
- Whisk the eggs, yolks, salt, and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees (test with your finger). Attach the bowl to the mixer and with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume.
- While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour, cornstarch, and cocoa.
- Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour 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 another 1/3 of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.
- 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.)
- Use a small paring knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto a rack and let the cake cool right side up on the paper. Remove the paper when the cake is cool.
- Storage: Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several days, or double-wrap and freeze for up to a month.
BUCHE DE NOEL
Buche de Noel is the French name for a Christmas cake shaped like a log. This one is a heavenly flourless chocolate cake rolled with chocolate whipped cream. Traditionally, Buche de Noel is decorated with confectioners' sugar to resemble snow on a Yule log.
Provided by TYRARACHELE
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European French
Time 1h30m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whip cream, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until thick and stiff. Refrigerate.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale. Blend in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and salt. In large glass bowl, using clean beaters, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, and beat until whites form stiff peaks. Immediately fold the yolk mixture into the whites. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Dust a clean dishtowel with confectioners' sugar. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and turn the warm cake out onto the towel. Remove and discard parchment paper. Starting at the short edge of the cake, roll the cake up with the towel. Cool for 30 minutes.
- Unroll the cake, and spread the filling to within 1 inch of the edge. Roll the cake up with the filling inside. Place seam side down onto a serving plate, and refrigerate until serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 275.6 calories, Carbohydrate 27.6 g, Cholesterol 156.8 mg, Fat 17.7 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 5.1 g, SaturatedFat 10.4 g, Sodium 72.4 mg, Sugar 22.9 g
BûCHE DE NOëL WITH MARZIPAN MUSHROOMS
Categories Cake Chocolate Egg Dessert Bake Christmas Almond Bon Appétit Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield Makes 14 servings
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- For filling:
- Bring milk to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk yolks and sugar in small bowl until well blended; whisk in flour. Whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Return to same saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to processor; cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Add marzipan; process until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in butter 1 piece at a time, then both extracts. Cover and refrigerate filling at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
- For cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 11x10x1-inch jelly roll pan. Line bottom with parchment paper; butter and flour parchment. Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla and salt in large metal bowl. Set bowl over pot of simmering water. Whisk until just warm, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until tripled in volume, about 6 minutes. Sift flour over; fold in until just combined. Gently fold in butter (do not overmix, or batter will deflate). Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over towel. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Turn hot cake out onto towel. Peel off parchment. Starting at 1 long side and using towel as aid, gently roll up cake jelly-roll style. Cool. Unroll cake. Spread filling over. Reroll cake; place cake, seam side down, on platter. Refrigerate cake while preparing frosting.
- For frosting:
- Bring cream and butter to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to melt butter. Remove from heat. Add both chocolates; whisk until melted. Transfer to medium bowl. Let cool at room temperature until thick enough to spread, about 1 hour.
- Starting 1 inch in from each end of cake, cut on diagonal to remove one 3-inch-long piece of cake from each end. Attach 1 cake piece at sides of cake near each end. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake and pieces. Using tines of fork, draw concentric circles on cake ends to resemble tree rings. Draw fork along length of cake to form bark design. Garnish with Marzipan Mushrooms.
MARZIPAN FOR BUCHE DE NOEL
This recipe for marzipan is courtesy of Johnny Iuzzini, and goes with our Buche de Noel recipe.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Yield Makes enough for one Buche de Noel
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until well combined and smooth. Wrap mixture in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
BÛCHE DE NOËL (FILLING, FROSTING & MARZIPAN MUSHROOMS)
Steps:
- For filling: Whip cream until light. Add sugar and extract & whip until heavy, adding stabilizer as cream whips. Unroll cake and spread with cream. Roll up filled cake & place it seam side down on a serving plate. For frosting: Melt chocolate in double boiler over simmering, very hot water (lightly boiling is fine but do not let the bottom of the pan touch the water). Add the marzipan to the melted chocolate and stir to blend. Add a few T of cream and blend further. When smooth, remove from heat and replace hot water with ice wather. The bowl can touch the water at this point. Using a hand mixer or heavy wire whisk,mix the frosting over the iced water until it gets cold and begins to stiffen. It should be stiff enough to hold it shape and not slide off the cake onto the serving plate but not so stiff that it won't spread. Spread frosting on cake using a knife dipped in water to keep the process going. Be careful not to tear the cake. When done, run the tines of a fork long-wise thru the frosting to simulate the look of tree bark. For the mushrooms: Roll marzipan into various sized small balls (around 1" in diamter).Push the blunt end of a chopstick or similar tool into one side to make space for a stem and to form the mushroom into the desired shape. Make stems by rolling small bits of marzipan between your two palms (like making clay snakes) and then "smush" the stem into the hole. Dip tops of mushrooms into cocoa powder or dust with cocoa by using a pastry brush. Make enough to give each person at least one mushroom with their slice of Bûche de Noël. When you make the mushrooms, be on the lookout for thieves. I keep an extra tube of marzipan on hand just in case I need to make more! Decorate the plate with seasonal greens, berries,pine cones and the marzipan mushrooms. Joyeux Noël a tous!
ORANGE-WALNUT BUCHE DE NOEL
This multilayered dessert is much easier to put together than you might imagine. The chocolate bark requires a bit of precision, but then it's simply a matter of tearing it into shards. The tuiles and acorns are optional, but they enhance the log's rustic appearance (and can be made ahead and stored in airtight containers). To mimic the exact design of the tuiles, you will need a leaf stencil, found at crafts stores.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes
Yield Makes 1 twelve-inch log
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper. Spray and flour parchment, tapping off excess; set aside. In a food processor, pulse walnuts and flour until coarsely ground; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg yolks with 5 tablespoons sugar until thick and pale. Beat in vanilla. In a clean mixing bowl fitted with a clean whisk, beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 5 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff (but not dry) glossy peaks form. Fold egg whites into yolk mixture in 3 equal batches, and add walnut mixture with last batch.
- Spread batter evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake until top is golden and springs back when touched, about 30 minutes. Run a small, sharp knife around edges of cake; invert cake onto a clean kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off parchment paper. Starting at a short side, gently roll the cake into a log, incorporating towel. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups mascarpone filling. Unroll cake and spread remaining filling on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Carefully reroll cake (without towel). Arrange, seam-side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, trim ends of log. Spread reserved filling over log. Working quickly, arrange chocolate bark all over log, overlapping pieces slightly. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Garnish with acorns and leaves, if desired; dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Tips:
- To ensure the marzipan is smooth and lump-free, make sure to use a food processor or blender to grind the almonds until they are very fine.
- If you don't have a food processor or blender, you can also use a mortar and pestle to grind the almonds. However, this will take more time and effort.
- Be careful not to over-process the almonds, as this can make the marzipan oily.
- If the marzipan is too dry, you can add a little bit of almond milk or water until it reaches the desired consistency.
- If the marzipan is too sticky, you can add a little bit of powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Marzipan can be used to make a variety of desserts, such as cakes, pies, and cookies. It can also be used as a filling for chocolates and truffles.
- Marzipan can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months.
Conclusion:
Marzipan is a delicious and versatile ingredient that can be used to make a variety of desserts. It is easy to make at home and can be stored for a long time. If you are looking for a new and exciting way to use almonds, I encourage you to try making marzipan. With a little bit of practice, you will be able to make perfect marzipan every time. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
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