Daring Bakers 14th Challenge: French Yule Log

This month’s challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand. Last December, we were challenged with the traditional version of North American yule log. This year we went to Europe for the French version of this dessert. This was the most complex recipe I had done so far for DB. Reading the recipe through the first time, I started laughing at Item number 3, of this 6-parts challenge. Oooh…boy…Though time is always at a premium at this time of the year, the components were too enticing to skip.

The recipe was taken from Flore from Florilege Gourmand.. The yule consisted of six different components:

1)  Dacquoise Biscuit
2)  Mousse
3)  Ganache Insert
4)  Praline (Crisp) Insert
5)  Creme Brulee Insert
6)  Icing 

How can you say no to a dessert that includes crème brûlée and dark chocolate mousse?… Despite a shaky start (a comedy of errors more than anything), I completed this challenge over a period of two days. Luckily, since it was a frozen dessert, it could be done ahead of time. Though incredibly rich, (thin slices go a long way) it was a nice way to end  our Christmas meal and was well received. Looking forward to January.

Recipes to Rival – 2nd Challenge: Squash Soup with Vanilla Crème Fraîche

This month’s challenge was perfectly timed for a cold and rainy November in the Pacific Northwest: soup. Our hostess was Meghan of Joy Through Cooking. Meghan chose a recipe from last season’s Top Chef show, Squash Soup with Vanilla Crème Fraîche. Top Chef is not a show I follow normally, but I had actually seen this episode, so it was neat to have a reference for it. This recipe was created by Andrew D’Ambrosi and Spike Mendelsohn, in response to a challenge where teams had to create a recipe using terms shouted out at an improv show: Yellow, Vanilla, Love. This recipe was the result.

Following the recommendations from members on the forum, I roasted the squash the night before. The interesting twist to this recipe, for me, was the use of miso paste with the mirepoix. What a great flavour it added to the soup! The other nice touch was the vanilla crème fraîche. All in all, a recipe well worth trying. Great challenge, great results.

Bring on December!!