rudolf the red nosed easy gift

Saw this idea on the lovely pinterest and easily recreated with my 3 year old for gifts to give.  Easy, inexpensive and she had fun making them.   A little tape, a little white glue, googly eyes and red pom-pom noses.. we happened to have all these components and you probably do too!  XL chocolate bars or I am sure regular size would do, I just happened to get these on sale.    

 Will definitely try these snowmen or these santas.   Dontcha just love pinterest? 

Yule Log uh, Trifle

I love me some sentiment, tradition.. and yes, food!  Every year since I saw Jacques Pepin's Buche de Noel  (Yule Log) Christmas dessert years ago.. I have looked forward to making it once a year, every year. Chocolate genoise cake that is light and not too sweet which is then filled with a chocolate mousse (which is divine on it's own), rolled up (like a jelly roll) and then topped with a chocolate ganache icing or whipped cream. And then there are the meringue mushrooms that are scattered around. It is like art project and cake all in one.  It is fun to create, impressive to serve and decadent to eat!  
So, this year.. same as usual.. I have my plotting and plannings.. gingerbread house, sugar cookies,.. whoops! forgot the buche de noel! THE cake of christmas, yep.. forgot it. Lot going on this year, but anyway.. I am not superstitious. Ok, yes I am. Can't leave a kitchen with a cupboard open (people will talk about you), bathroom with the toilet seat up (money will flow out), salt spilled (have no idea, but i can't not do a little spritz over the shoulder).. ok, I'll stop. I am not superstitious.. I just feel the need to do these things just because. That's all I am saying and please leave my neurosis alone. Now back to that damn christmas cake already.  
So, this year I forgot. It's like a day or two after and I am all like, I can't believe I forgot. Well, I did. And then immediately start plotting (yes, I plot a lot) when I can make it before the window of the Christmas season is over!! New Year's day. perfect. life will go on. Yes!
Well, needless to say, my chocolate genoise cake crumbled. In the last 20+ I have made this has never happened... but it did. Hmm.  I won't read anything into that.
Anyway, trying to salvage some kind of yule log yumminess.. afterall, I had a crumbled cake and chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache and fresh whipped cream.. I couldn't think of anything better than to make a trifle. 
It must be a good omen that it's going to be a really, really good year.. coz this trifle was amazeballs. Yes, I said amazeballs. 

Take this recipe in 4 steps. Cake, mousse, ganache & whipped cream.  I like to make the cake and mousse the day before.. then it's just a simple assembly the morning of.  It is better if it can sit at least an hour in the fridge before serving.    None are difficult and pretty easy.
This could totally be made individually in dessert or wine glasses for a dinner party or buffet.. that would be quite lovely. 

Buche de Noel

Step 1. Make the Genoise Cake

Genoise Cake 

5 T. unsalted butter, plus more for parchment and pan

2/3 cup sifted cake flour (not self-rising)

1/3 cup sifted cocoa powder, plus more for dusting

1 t. instant espresso granules 

Pinch of baking soda

6 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350º
2. Butter a 10 1/2-by-15 1/2-by-1-inch jelly-roll pan. Line with parchment; butter and flour paper, tapping out the excess flour.
3. Sift flour, cocoa, espresso and baking soda together twice into a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Skim off white foam, and pour clear yellow butter into a bowl, discarding white liquid at the bottom. Set aside in a warm place.
5. In the bowl from your stand mixer, whisk together eggs and sugar. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water; stir until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, and place on stand and whisk on high speed until mixture is thick and pale and has tripled in bulk. Reduce speed to medium, add vanilla, and beat 2 to 3 minutes more.
6. In three additions, sift flour mixture over egg mixture, folding in gently with a spatula. While folding in last addition, dribble melted butter over batter and fold in.
7. Spread batter evenly in pan, leaving behind any unincorporated butter in the bottom of the bowl. Tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake until cake springs back when touched in center, 15 to 20 minutes. Don't overbake. Let sit in pan on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.
8. Dust surface with unsweetened cocoa powder.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  (you can cut into pieces to make fitting in your fridge easier, if needed)

Step 2. Make the Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

 

    4 ounces semisweet chocolate
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    4 large eggs, separated
    Pinch of cream tartar
    1/2 cup heavy cream

1. In a double boiler, melt together chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat, and transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in egg yolks, stirring well. Let cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff. Whisk a third of the whites into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remainder of the egg whites.
3. Whip cream until it holds soft peaks, and fold into chocolate mixture. Chill until set, at least an 1 hour. 

Step 3. Make the Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Ganache

   1/2 cup heavy cream
   8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips  

   1 teaspoon instant espresso granules

 

1. Cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. 

2.  Set aside at room temperature, til cool but pourable.. stirring occasionally. 

Step 4. Make Whipped Cream

 

Fresh Whipped Cream 

   1 cup heavy whipping cream

   1 T. sugar

1. Place together cream and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.

 

To assemble the trifle.. 

1. Tear cake into large chunks and place casually in the bottom of a trifle dish. 

2.  Generously spoon over Chocolate Mousse.

3. With a spoon, drizzle with ganache and then a scant layer of whipped cream.

4. Repeat.. Cake, Mousse, Ganache.  Till you have no more cake left.  (if you have leftover mousse.. enjoy. It's very very good.) 

 

5. End with whipped cream, generously dolloped on top and drizzle with ganache.

Chocolate shavings would work well here and next time I make this, I just might crumble some meringues as a center layer.  I think the crunch would work well here and I always have meringue mushrooms in the original recipe, so that would be a nice nod back.

*Please note: It is advised.. Raw eggs should not be used in food prepared for pregnant women, young children, or anyone else whose health is compromised.  Mousse at your own risk. 

**Additional note:  Enjoy at your own risk. It is that rich and decadent and delicious.  And pretty easy, too!

visions of sugar..ed globes of gumdrops, danced in her head..

I think Scarlett's favorite candy is gummies. You know, the really-get-stuck-in-your-2-year-old-teeth-that-you-always-fight-me-when-it's-time-to-brush-and-I-feel-we-never-do-a-good-enough-job-gumdrops and such. mommy stress much? yes. duh. 

So what's one to do when it's her 1st real Christmas that she is understanding...? Make ornaments studded with such pieces of heaven.  Yes, this is one of the ways I ensure her devout devotion to me! 

This project is simple.  Gumdrops (Trader Joe's has an awesome pack of pastel coloured but REAL fruit included ones) 
Styrofoam orbs
Toothpicks, cut in 1/2 

Simply take half toothpick and insert in gumdrop halfway.  Then insert said gumdrop into styrofoam orb. Continue round til you have studded the whole thing.  

To hang, use a heavy wire to poke straight through.  Twist wire so it doesn't lose it's place and gumdrop ball drop to the ground.  Which I am sure, is Scarlett's Christmas wish.  
at top of ball, twist wire into a loop and hang with ribbon.  

Fun, childlike, sugar-laced wonder... It's what christmas is all about.  At least at my house. 

  Or simply set the gumdrop balls on a table, like I lazily did here! This was my Christmas tea table that I decorated.  Using glass cake domes as little snowglobe inspired vignettes. I have a love affair with vintage painted wooden christmas ornaments from all over the world. The dishes are french china and for sale here on etsy.

Another idea, if I had time would be to stick a small dowel in them and place them in a little pot.. cover with snow.  Little gumdrop topiaries... this, i think would be cute lined up down the middle of a holiday table. Alright, convinced.. gonna try one. Will post image later!

vintage ornaments and frames as trays.. measuring cups from the 1930's double as votive holders.

FIND: angels we have heard on high

These are a set of little angels that were handed down from a friend of the family, who was more like a grandmother to me.. Dot and Tom Warner were German and quite lovely.  They became grandparent figures, being that ours were 8 hours away.    I have such special memories of them and staying at their house.  I think that is where my love for antiques and old things started.  
These were a set that she gave my mom who in turn gave them to me.  I don't know much about them.. other than that.  They are lead weight and silver and gold, approximately 2" tall.  Would love to know more.