Logging on to La Bûche de Noel

 

If there is one certainty in France at Christmas, it is that most French families will celebrate their Christmas with a Bûche de Noel. This is the famous Yule Log, consisting of a Swiss roll, filled and covered with lashings of cream and chocolate and decorated with everything from holly leaves and marzipan mushrooms to silver and gold stars topped with a dusting of icing sugar. It makes a wonderfully festive dessert.

 

Origins of La Bûche de Noel

This popular Christmas bake has its origins in a pagan tradition, whereby the Celts were reputed to have placed a large log on the hearth to burn for as long as possible in order to protect the household from a variety of ailments and evil deeds. It also was thought to be an offering to thank the sun for coming back to earth as the days slowly began to lengthen after the midwinter solstice.

 

Over time, the tradition moved on to placing a smaller log on the table and decorating it with sweet gifts called ‘friandises’ and, at some point during the 19th century, it started to appear as a Christmas dessert which we now recognise as ‘La Bûche de Noel’.

 

Searching for a recipe

There is a recipe for ‘La Bûche de Noel’ in every family – simple, elaborate, exquisite or classic with a multitude of fillings from butter cream to whipped or double cream, chocolate ganache ladled with the spirit of your choice such as cognac or rum and often made with purée de marrons (chestnut purée).

I found a recipe in my go to French cookery book, Les Recettes Faciles’ by Françoise Bernard, which my colleagues at the Lycée Pierre de la Ramée, in St Quentin presented to me. They were keen that I set off on the right track with French cuisine! Françoise’s recipe has chestnut purée which thankfully is still available to buy in most groceries and supermarkets in the UK.

This is a shorter version of my piece for  Yorkshire Bylines which contains a translation of the French recipe from Les Recettes Faciles.

 

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas. ‘Joyeux Noel’ and ‘Meilleurs Voeux pour l’année 2025’!

Oh! the weather is damp and dreary but the cake is warm and cheery …

Damp Gingerbread

As the temperatures drop and storms bringing rain and snow make a path to our doors, I always reach out for Grandma’s traditional warming bakes which bring cheer and joy. These recipes often contain ginger, that fiery spice, which is reputed to have anti- inflammatory benefits for our health and well-being.

Elsie’s eclectic recipe collection

Some time ago, my friend Sue, in Halifax sent me a assortment of recipes which were in her late mother, Elsie’s cookbook. Sue’s Mum and Dad were close family friends and we have kept this flame of friendship alive over many years. Elsie’s recipes included an eclectic mixture of cakes but the one which caught my attention first was Damp Gingerbread. I’ve always been intrigued by names of cakes and even dared to suggest some cakes needed a rebrand . Grandma Abson had a similar recipe to Elsie’s.

Damp Gingerbread.

What you need

4 oz butter

8 oz treacle*

3 oz soft brown sugar

12 oz plain flour

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsps baking powder

6oz sultanas

2 eggs (beaten)

A little warm milk (about 6-8 tbsps)

How to bake

Pre heat the oven to  180C (160C Fan), Gas Mark 4 Warm the butter, treacle* and sugar in a pan on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon and baking powder and sultanas. Add the liquid from the pan and the beaten eggs. Add a little milk to mix to a soft texture/batter. Pour into a well-greased and lined approx. 8 inch/20 cms tin – round, square or rectangle. Bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes.

* Grandma used the term’ treacle’ for golden syrup or a mixture of golden syrup and black treacle so it could be a bit confusing! I used a mixture of golden syrup and black treacle to bake this recipe.

The Glasgow School of Cookery leads the way

I found a similar recipe for ‘Damp Gingerbread’ in my copy of ‘The Glasgow School of Cookery Book’ 1910.  The Glasgow School of Cookery was established in 1875. The aim was to educate young working-class women in cookery skills and, later, it promoted culinary education at board schools. 

The Glasgow School of Cookery recipe has the addition of 3oz (approx.. 85g) almonds – this could be ground almonds or flaked almonds. The recipe also suggests baking in moderate oven for about 2 hours which is not necessary in a modern oven!

So, nothing wrong with Damp Gingerbread - perhaps it has the right name after all. As the song nearly goes :

Oh, the weather is damp and dreary

But the cake is warm and cheery …

Enjoy and keep safe in the wintry weather.

This is a shorter version of my article for Yorkshire Bylines