We celebrate both Yule and Christmas in our house. It's rather nice. Yule is marked with a lovely feast and is fabulous in it's giftlessness. We'll drink and eat until we're merry as can be, feed the birds and leave some treats for the faerie folk, then head back inside to nosh on the Yule Log.
We see the Yule Log as a symbol of luck and prosperity... plus it looks jolly lovely and festive. In the book I swiped my cake recipe from, there were ridiculously complicated instructions for making a log cake. Pffft! Here's how to make one easy peasy...
First of all, there's nothing wrong with buying a store bought jelly roll to make your log, but if you are making one from scratch, roll the warm cake in a towel and let it cool. This will help prevent cracking when you roll it up.
Looky at how nice and rolly that cake is!
Now fill your cake with cream, icing or jam.
Now, make a diagonal cut at one end of the roll.
Plonk that bit you just chopped off where you'd like your 'limb' to poke out.
Now cover it in chocolate icing. Some people ice the ends but it's supposed to be a chopped log and I like the look of the 'rings' so I don't bother.
When it's covered, drag the tines of a fork across the surface.
Hey look! It's just like bark!
Add some powdered sugar for snow, meringue mushrooms, berries, shaved chocolate and decorate the heck out of that log!
How easy was that?!?!
Take it easy, breath, and enjoy the holidays... no matter which ones you celebrate :)
xoxox
