A French Tradition in a Kumquat Bûche de Noël -- Une tradition française pour une bûche de Noël aux kumquats
Tradition, tradition! Do you smell something special? You have about ten days left to decide what to make for dessert! As to me I already know....
Christmas is just like this. Every year, I think that I have plenty of time to think about the following year, and about two weeks before D day, I always realize that I am really left with tons of unfinished things in my hands. Things that I want to cook and prepare. Some years, we spend Christmas in France with my family, like last year, and sometimes we spend it in the US with P.'s family, just like this year. I am perhaps the one cooking or not. Whatever the scenario, there is one thing that does not change, no matter what. I cannot let Christmas go by and not have a bûche de Noël. Not in France? Not the culture in the US? Tant pis! (too bad) La bûche de Noël is just that special.
Let me explain. When we were kids, the entire Christmas meals revolved around the type of bûche that my mum was going to buy. Or make. But to tell the truth, there were so many fantastic-looking bûches in every single pâtisserie that most years, we would end up buying one. Until I became older and wiser (I thought so!) and decided that it was much more fun to say "C'est moi qui l'ai fait" (I made it) if anyone asked about la bûche. What kind of bûche ? With crème au beurre, crème pâtissière, mousse, chocolat, fruits, marrons (chestnuts). The variations are endless. Yet, one thing does not change: the shape of the bûche.
Macerated Kumquats and Vanilla Cream
Brushing the Sponge Cake with Kumquat Syrup
Rolling the Bûche
In French, Bûche means log. The tradition is old and dates back to the time when a log used to be burned in the fireplace during Christmas Eve, especially in the French regions of Provence and Alsace. It soon was to be replaced by a traditional cake with the exact shape and looks of a log, introduced by Parisian pastry chefs by the end of the 19th century. La bûche de Noël was born.
The How-To Guide About the Bûche de Noël
The principle to make a bûche de Noël is simple but requires organization and time. There are a few components:- Le gâteau roulé, (the rolled cake)
- La crème (the cream to make the filling)
- Le glaçage et la décoration (Icing and decoration)
I have made this particular bûche twice and every time, I like to add one thing to enhance its looks and taste. What I particularly enjoy in this recipe is the association of delicately marinated kumquats with a vanilla cream. Kumquats do not need to be cooked as the sugar takes care of this for us. Over a richer crème au beurre (buttercream), I prefer crème pâtissière, making for a lighter dessert, especially after a Christmas menu. The icing stays simple with a sprinkled thick coat of confectioner's sugar on top. Airy and light like snow. Candied kumquats are then arranged on top of the cake with cacao nibs. Fresh raspberries mixed with the kumquat syrup are served on the side.
The ideas abound and you should really feel confident to try one, two, three or more bûches. I know that Christmas is still two weeks away -- I know my Maths -- but as we had a couple of friends over for dinner last night, I thought that it would be a good place to practice my bûche skills. I am still waiting to try more fancy ones, of course. There is always a good excuse to have a few Christmas celebrations, and eat more bûches than just the yearly one! Besides, I do not live where pastry shops are lined up the ones next to the others to tempt me with their fantastic creations. I better learn quickly!
Kumquat Bûche de Noël
- 7 oz kumquats
- 3.5 oz candied kumquats*
- 3.5 oz fine sugar
- Confectioner's sugar
- 3.5 oz flour
- 3.5 oz fine sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 + 1/2 cups milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 2/3 oz fine sugar
- 1 oz cornstarch
- 1 oz butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- Start with the preparation of the fruit. Wash the kumquats and slice them thinly. Remove the seeds if any. Sprinkle with the sugar and let macerate for 12 hours.
- For the cake, preheat your oven at 350 F.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat until white in color.
- Add the flour and vanilla extract.
- Whip the egg whites firm and fold them carefully in the previous preparation.
- Pour the batter (0.5" thick) on a baking sheet covered with a piece of parchment paper.
- Cook for 10 mns.
- Wet a dish towel, squeeze the excess water out and place it on the counter top. Flip the cake on top of it. Remove the parchment paper and roll the cake and the dish towel together. Keep.
- For the cream, pour half of the sugar in a pot and add the cornstarch. Pour the milk slowly, add the vanilla pod and vanilla seeds, and mix well. Place on the heat and bring to a boil. Remove.
- In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar. Beat until the preparation is white in color. Pour the milk slowly without ceasing to beat. Place back on heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 to 4 mns. Remove the cream from the heat and let cool down a bit.
- Add the butter and mix well.
- Strain the kumquats. Keep the juice and add 5 cl water.
- Dice the kumquats and add them to the cream.
- Open the cake flat and brush it with this syrup. Spread the fruit cream on top and roll the cake again. Place it tight in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 12 hours.
- When you are ready to serve, take the cake out and sprinkle with a thick coat of confectioner's sugar. Add candied kumquats* and cacao nibs**.
Le coin français
Bûche de Noël aux kumquats
- 200 g de kumquats
- 100 g de kumquats confits*
- 100 g de sucre
- Sucre glace
- 100 g de farine
- 100 g de sucre
- 4 oeufs
- 1 càc d'extrait de vanille
- 35 cl de lait
- 4 jaunes d'oeuf
- 75 g de sucre
- 30 g de maïzena
- 30 g de beurre à temperature ambiante
- 1/2 gousse de vanille
- Commencez par préparer les fruits. Lavez les kumquats et coupez-les en tranches fines. Saupoudrez-les de sucre et laissez macérer pendant 12 heures.
- Pour le biscuit, préchauffez votre four à 180 C.
- Séparez les jaunes des blancs d'oeuf.
- Dans un saladier, ajoutez le sucre aux jaunes et fouettez jusqu'à ce que le mélange blanchisse.
- Ajoutez la farine et l'extrait de vanille.
- Battez les blancs en neige ferme et incorporez-les délicatement à la préparation précédente.
- Versez la pâte sur une plaque à pâtisserie recouverte de papier sulfurisé (sur 1 cm d'épaisseur).
- Enfournez le gâteau pendant 10 mns.
- Mouillez un torchon, essorez-le et étalez-le sur le plan de travail. Renversez le biscuit dessus. Retirez le papier sulfurisé et roulez le gâteau et le torchon ensemble. Réservez.
- Pour la crème, versez la moitié du sucre dans une casserole et ajoutez la maïzena. Versez le lait en mince filet en tournant avec un fouet et portez à ébullition, avec la gousse de vanille fendue et grattée. Retirez du feu.
- Dans un saladier, mélangez les jaunes avec le reste de sucre. Fouettez jusqu'à ce que la préparation blanchisse. Versez le lait chaud en filet sans cesser de fouetter. Remettez le tout dans la casserole et portez à ébullition pendant 3 à 4 mns. Retirez la crème du feu et laissez-la tiédir.
- Ajoutez le beurre et mélangez bien.
- Égouttez les kumquats. Réservez le jus et ajoutez 5 cl d'eau.
- Coupez les fruits en petits bouts et ajoutez-les à la crème.
- Étalez le gâteau et imbibez-le de sirop avant d'étaler la crème. Enroulez-le et enveloppez-le de film alimentaire. Mettez au frais pendant 12 heures.
- Au moment de servir, saupoudrez de sucre glace et servez avec des kumquats confits* et de graines de cacao enrobées de chocolat.
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