The Classic Bûche de Noël Is a Highlight of the Christmas Table

By Marie-Christine Perry

Every year as December approaches, memories of Christmases past flood my mind: the walk to the church for midnight mass, the whole family in its Christmas finery with seven children excited and awed; the joyful surprise of the glittering tree on Christmas morning; the quiet lighting of the candles on the tree each evening as we sat around the living room and watched the dancing flames; the Provençal crèche built during Advent and much played with, camels and Kings advancing toward the manger every day. But most of all I remember the joy, the laughter, the smells, the food!

Today, although a Judeo-Buddhist couple, my partner and I both have an inordinate passion for this holiday. We celebrate with food we love, mixing cultures and memories, choosing the tree carefully and decorating the whole house with our merged collections of Christmas paraphernalia. A menorah will add its lights to the festivities, beeswax candles everywhere will spread their delicate scent, the Douglas fir its spiciness. There will be champagne, raw oysters on the half shell with just the tiniest squeeze of lemon, very rare breasts of moulard duck with latkes and quince sauce and, of course, the Bûche de Noël.

All over France during the Christmas season, the Bûche de Noël, or Yule log, is the dessert on every table. Pâtisseries compete to offer the most dazzling bûche with the most exotic ingredients, but it is simple to make one at home, and a lot of fun! Garnished with tiny meringue mushrooms, little Christmas figurines, or boughs of holly and fir, the Yule log can be a simple gênoise that is spread with jam or whipped cream before being rolled and flecked with powdered sugar. Or it can be filled with a more complex butter cream and iced.

I like to spread mine with chestnut mousse before rolling, or sprinkle it with crème de cassis and fill it with black currant jelly.

For the simplest version, you need to bake a chocolate gênoise (sponge cake) in a quarter sheet pan (I use Martha Stewart’s recipe, available on her website). Before rolling, sprinkle the gênoise with liqueur—Grand Marnier or crème de cassis—and spread on it whatever mixture you choose (whipped cream, black currant jelly, chestnut mousse, chocolate or coffee butter cream, etc.). Then roll and refrigerate. Before serving, garnish simply with powdered sugar, whipped cream or butter cream. Decorate with boughs of holly and fir, with meringue mushrooms, or create a little woodsy scene with tiny Santas, fir trees, little elves.

There is a good recipe for meringue mushrooms on the allrecipes.com website. Do remember to bake them on a very dry day: meringue abhors humidity. These little mushrooms require a bit of work and care, but they will add elegance and whimsy to your bûche.

Now we have the makings of a memorable feast, with duck, turkey or ham, roast brussels sprouts, sautéed quince (my favorite winter fruit, so versatile), chestnut stuffing and a simple salad of greens and herbs. I will add some French cheeses to my feast to round off the meal, and a good pinot noir. Champagne is a given! 

 Bon appétit!