Cooking With Abby: Week of 11/30/20 Update
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Hello fabulous people! Thank you so much for all of your holiday pie orders. We are happy to offer pies, classes, and gifts this holiday season. Most of our classes will be taught via Zoom until it is safe for all of us to be together. Please contact me directly if you have in-person options you want to discuss. Hope you are healthy, happy, and ready for the holiday season!
-Chef Abby
Recipe of the Week: Buche de Noel/Yule Log
The first Christmas Yule log cake is correctly known as a Buche de Noel recipe and was cleverly created in the late 1800s by a French pastry chef looking to replace and pay culinary homage to the original Yule log tradition. The new, gastronomic tradition caught on in spectacular fashion, and the Christmas dessert is now celebrated worldwide.
Ingredients
Sponge Cake:
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cake flour
Chocolate Buttercream:
• 7 egg whites
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate (melted and cooled)
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (softened)
Steps to Make It
Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this yule log recipe is broken down into workable
categories to help you better plan for baking.
Make the Cake
1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
3. Butter a 10-inch by 15-inch baking pan with a 1-inch lip (jelly-roll pan) and line it with parchment paper.
4. Butter the parchment or spray it with cooking spray. Set the pan aside.
5. Beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until they turn thick and foamy.
6. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the eggs and continue beating for 2 minutes.
7. Carefully fold the flour, a few tablespoons at a time, into the whipped egg mixture.
8. Once the flour is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. Do not over-mix or the cake will bake up into a tough texture.
9. Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan. There will be peaks of batter; gently smooth over them, but do not press the batter down.
10. Bake the cake for 10 minutes, until the cake is just set.
11. Invert the baked cake onto a clean, dry kitchen towel and peel off the parchment paper.
12. Wait 3 minutes and then 1-inch in from one of the short side score across the cake taking care not to cut right through.
13. Fold this piece of cake in towards the center.
14. Then gently roll the cake, still in the towel, starting at the 10-inch end.
15. Allow it to cool completely.
16. While it cools, make the buttercream.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream
1. In a clean, completely dry bowl, beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Set them aside for a moment.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil.
3. Allow it boil until it has reduced into a slightly thickened syrup.
4. Begin beating the egg whites on high speed again, and pour the hot sugar syrup into the eggs in a slow, steady stream.
5. Pour the melted chocolate, espresso powder, and vanilla extract into the egg whites and continue beating them until the meringue has cooled completely, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the softened butter to the meringue, 2 tablespoons at a time, while beating on high speed, until all of the butter is incorporated into the frosting.
7. If the buttercream becomes runny during this process, refrigerate the meringue until it has chilled through.
8. Continue the process of beating the butter into the meringue.
Assemble the Chocolate Yule Log
1. Unroll the cake and set aside the towel.
2. Evenly spread 2 cups (or desired amount) of the chocolate buttercream on the inside of the cake and following its natural curve.
3. Gently form it into a cake roll.
4. Cut off the ends of the cake roll on the diagonal and reattach them in the center of the cake with a bit of buttercream to fashion a “branch” coming off the main Yule log.
5. Spread the exterior of the Buche de Noel with enough chocolate buttercream to cover it and gently pull a butter knife or small, offset spatula through the frosting to give the appearance of rough tree bark.
6. Add a Pere Noel figure and meringue mushrooms to complete the festive look.
7. Chill the cake before serving it, and refrigerate any leftovers.
8. Enjoy!
Update: Holiday Culinary Gifts available this Friday!!
The Holidays are here, and we are busy making magic in the CWA workshop! Spice boxes, date night boxes, and more will be available for purchase this upcoming Friday, December 4. All items can be either shipped (flat rates apply) or locally delivered. Can’t wait to show you all of our holiday gifts!
xo,
Chef Abby
Chef Abby’s Quick Tip of the week!
Mise En Place: The most important three words in the kitchen, aside from "don't catch fire," are "mise en place." This French phrase, meaning to put things in their place, refers to the chef-approved technique of measuring, cutting, and otherwise prepping ingredients and laying them out before attempting a recipe. Doing adequate prep before you start cooking will make the cooking process a whole lot faster. Better yet, it's easy to avoid overcooking your food if you're not frantically trying to find ingredients.
Holiday Pies 2020
Can be ordered throughout December; please give 24-hour notice! My pie page can be found at this link.
Dutch Apple
Pumpkin
Chocolate Chip
Pecan
Coconut Custard
Blueberry Lemon
Weekly Produce Boxes: locally sourced, seasonal fruits and vegetables with some fly-ins!
Contact Chef Abby to set up your personalized produce plan for you and your family!
