Yule Log Pudding/Cake

YULE LOG PUDDING/CAKE

The moment we decided to post recipes for CHRISTMAS, our whole family was abuzz with excitement. Think tanks were activated and switched on to memory mode. My sister Yosee reminded me of the Yule Log our mother had once prepared for Christmas.

Candle making, cake making and many other classes were held at the Inner Wheel Club where the members shared their skills with each other apart from their busy social service schedules.

Mother had learnt the art of making eggless cookies, cakes and puddings in one such session. She once made Yule Log using Marie biscuits, for Christmas. It was great fun helping around with the decorations as we secretly licked ( OOOOH! TABOOOO! ) our sugar and butter coated fingers! We enjoyed the log pudding/cake as much as we enjoyed the plum cake father had bought from NILGIRIS.

I called up my mother for a quick 'Yule Log making' lesson and prepared it for the first time, and this is how it turned out to be.

My daughter and grand daughter helped me with the decorations. I really love the cute little fledglings sitting on the log, which was modelled by my grand daughter using home made marzipan.

INGREDIENTS

Marie biscuits - 2 packets

Cocoa powder - 4 tbsps

Milk - enough to make the dough

Butter - 300 gms

Powdered sugar - 4 cups

Tuttifruity - 6tbsps

Raisins - 6 tbsps

Cashew nuts - 6 tbsps

Vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp

Ready to use chocolate - 1 slab

METHOD

1. Break the biscuits into tiny bits and powder in a mixer.

2. Mix cocoa into the biscuit powder.

3. Sprinkle milk little by little and knead the biscuit powder and cocoa into a smooth dough.

4. Cream butter and sugar into a smooth paste adding vanilla essence and keep aside.

5. Divide the biscuit dough into three parts .

6. Roll one part into a moderately thick round, like a chapati.

7. Spread 1/3 of the creamed butter sugar mixture evenly on the 'chapati'.

8. Spread tuttifruity so that it covers the entitre surface.

9. Roll out the second portion of the dough and place it on the tutifruity spread.

10. Spread the next 1/3 of butter sugar mixture over the second layer.

11. Sprinkle cashew nuts and raisins all over it.

12. Roll out the third portion of the dough and place it on the cashew raisins topping.

13. Spread the sugar butter cream over the last layer of the biscuit dough 'chapati '.

14. Press the whole arrangement lightly and then roll them together.

15. Do not bother if a few cracks appear on the roll or if little bit of sugar and butter cream spills out.

16. Cut the little extra dough on both ends to make it look like a chopped log

.

17. Roll the cut out portion into a cylinder and attach it to one edge of the log to make a stump.

18. Place this in the refrigerator and let lt chill thoroughly. I left it to chill over night.

19. Place finely broken chocolate in a bowl and place it in another bowl of water and boil, or microwave using a microwave safe bowl.( Micro wave for four minutes checkig in between)

20. Let the chocolate bowl stand in hot water even after bringing it out of the oven; use a spoon and whisk it smoothly.

21. Spoon the molten chocolate quickly all over the cold log and spread it using a spoon , fork or a brush.

22. Stroke with brush or fork to get the grains and swirl the same to get the circular grains.

Put back the chocolate coated log into the refrigerator until you are ready with the decorations.

MARZIPAN

INGREDIENTS

Almonds - 100 gms

Powdered sugar - 1 cup

Almond or vanilla essence - 2 drops

METHOD

1. Soak almonds in boiling water and remove the skin.

2. Thoroughly dry almonds and make them into a fine powder in a mixer.

3. Add equal quantity of powdered sugar and run the mixer for a few more seconds.

4. Take out the blend , add essence and knead well.

5. Store it in an air tight container ot wrap it in a foil and leave it in the refrigerator to chill.

6. Bring out the marzipan dough, divide it into three portions.

7. Add a pinch of red, yellow and green food colour to each portion and knead them separately.

8. Start shaping them into any form you like. The eggless marzipan became little sticky. Hence we greased our fingers with butter to make the desired shapes. Finally our 'butter fingers' worked!