Buche de Noel

This year I decided to make my Buche de Noel ( Yule Log) even more child friendly by adding a few Christmas mice to it.  They turned out adorable! - If I may say so myself.

I used Martha Stewart's recipe for the Chocolate Genoise cake and the Meringue Mushrooms, but I chose to substitute the chocolate mousse filling and the ganache icing for plain, out of the jar Nutella.  I must say that Martha's recipe makes a more delicate desert, but for the sake of time, I just had to improvise.  My guests enjoyed it and the kids loved the little mice.

I made the mushrooms and mice two days before and kept them in an airtight container.  Also, I left them in the oven for at least one hour longer than specified in Martha's recipe.  The heat and humidity here in Houston pretty much demands the longer drying out time.  Most people use licorice for the mice tails.  I don't care for the candy, so instead I drew on a wiggly tail with black gel icing out of a tube.

I think this video is great at showing how easy it is to handle the cake before rolling it.  I also microwaved the Nutella for 20 seconds to make it easy to spread.

And Voila!  I will probably use a version of the Yule Log next time I plan a woodland party.  I wonder if I can make Meringue Owls?  Hummmmmm....

 Hugs and Kisses,
Catherine