Yule Log

We had a few 'firsts' this Christmas: I made my first ever gingerbread house from scratch (with the help of the whole family for the decoration); I made my first and second yule logs (one for us and one for granny's family); Y drove the longest distance ever on Christmas day (from London to Northampton; then to Nottingham; then to Grimsby; then back to Nottingham; then from one side of Nottingham to the other side of Nottingham; then all the way back to London); we had the traditional Christmas dinner in a Chinese buffet house... In short, it's been a very busy, food-filled Christmas with family and friends. But it's been a very good one too.

Ok. Back to the yule logs. Compared to the gingerbread house, it was a breeze to make the two yule logs. The only problem with the yule logs was, in order to create the wood-like texture, I applied a fair amount of chocolate icing to the Swiss roll, which made the whole cake a little too sweet. That is, despite my effort in swapping the chocolate-icing filling to chestnut puree and whipped cream. Well, a lesson learnt, I suppose.



Serves 6-8

Ingredients


For the chestnut puree

1. 500g cooked chestnut
2. 300ml water
3. 80g sugar
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Swiss Roll

1. 6 large eggs, separated
2. 120g + 60g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
3. 50g cocoa powder
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. 150ml whipped cream

For the chocolate icing

1. 130g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
2. 170g unsalted buttter
3. 2 tsp milk
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. 190g icing sugar

Method

1. Make the chestnut puree by boiling chestnut, sugar and water in a pan. Bring to the boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Take out the chestnuts but reserving the liquid. Whizz the chestnuts in a food processor to the desired consistency by adding the liquid gradually. You may not need all the liquid. Leave to cool completely.
2. Make the Swiss Roll by preheating the oven to 180c. Grease and line a Swiss Roll tin with baking parchment. In a bowl, use an electric mixer to mix egg yolks with 120g sugar on high speed until thick and pale. This takes about 4-5 minutes. Then add in the cocoa and vanilla extract and mix lightly until just combined. In another bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks and add 60g sugar in 3 additions until it forms stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the yolks lightly until just combined. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 13-15 minutes. Turn out the cake onto a parchment paper dusted with sugar and remove the parchment paper that is attaching to the cake. Trim the edges. Let it cool a little. Meanwhile, get ready the whipped cream. Spread thinly the chestnut puree on the cake and follow by whipped cream. Carefully roll up the cake tightly.
3. Make the chocolate icing by melting chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Let cool slightly. In another bowl, beat butter, milk vanilla and icing sugar until smooth and then add in the melted chocolate. Beat until smooth.
4. Ice the Swiss Roll with the chocolate icing. Use a cake spatula to create wood markings and a toothpick/skewer to create tree rings on each end. Decorate with sugar canes and holly leaves made with fondant icing.
   

Glutinous Rice Ball with Peanut and Coconut Filling

To Pecky

One of the highlights of my trip to Hong Kong was to learn how to make these Law Mai Chis (Glutinous Rice Ball). These are soft, squidgy rice balls usually filled with either peanut and coconut or black sesame paste. My friend was kind enough to ask her relatives, who have been making this for years to sell at their shop, to show me how they make it. Of course I will not divulge their secret recipe, but I have included here my adapted recipe and my take at it...

Makes 12

Ingredients

1. 100g + 40g sugar
2. 150g dessicated coconut
3. 270g peanuts
4. 150g glutinous rice flour, plus more to dust the hands and work surface
5. 120ml coconut cream
6. 60ml water
   

Method

• Roast the peanuts in the oven until golden brown. Take out to cool.
• In the food processor, whizz 100g sugar, dessicated coconut and peanuts together until they resemble breadcrumbs. Set aside in a bowl.
• In another bowl, mix glutinous rice flour, 40g sugar, coconut cream and water together thoroughly. It should be a smooth paste with no lumps of flour.
• Pour the dough into an oiled shallow dish and steam for 20 minutes. Check if the dough is cooked by inserting a skewer. If it comes out clean, the dough is cooked.
• Let the dough cool a little until it is not too hot to handle. Dust your hands and work surface with glutinous rice flour. Divide the dough into 12 portions.
• Use your palm or a rolling pin to press down each portion of the dough until about 3-4mm thick. Put in the centre a tablespoon of the coconut and peanut filling and use your fingertips to pinch the edges together and roll with your hands to form a ball.
• Dust the ball with glutinous rice flour/dessicated coconut. Serve and eat within 2 days.

ChocoNut Cookies in a Jar

The last 10 weeks went past like a swirlwind. So many things happened: the Exam, the loss of a friend, my mom's eye operation, the trip to HK, Y's sis' wedding, meeting with family and friends, Christmas preparation, snowman building... ...

This Christmas, we are giving these pretty filled jars (one muffin mix, one cookie mix) to Y's 2 cousins as Christmas presents. Since they are both going to uni soon, we hope that they would enjoy cooking and baking for themselves, their family and friends.

Preparation

• A 1L glass jar with lid. I use Kilner jars here; but on hindsight, I should have probably used a taller glass jar so that the layering effects are more visible.
• Ribbons to decorate and a tag to write baking instructions and greetings.

Ingredients to be put in the jar

• 110g plain flour
• 1/4 ts baking powder
• 1/4 ts bicarb of soda
• a pinch of salt
• 75g light brown sugar
• 75g caster sugar
• 70g rolled oats
• 130 m&ms and chocolate chips
• 100g pistachio nuts (or any other nuts you prefer)

Additional ingredients

• 125g melted butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 ts vanilla extract

Method

1. Put flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a bowl. Pour them into the glass jar carefully. Top with brown sugar, caster sugar, then oats, then m&ms and chocolate chips, and finally nuts. It is important to put things in this order if you don't want seepage of ingredients that muddles the layering effect.
2. In the tag, write down the instructions as follows: 'Preheat oven to 190c. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Tip the ingredients into a large bowl. Add butter, egg and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Shape the dough into balls and place on baking trays approximately 5cm apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned but still a little soft in the middle. Turn the cookies to a wire rack to cool.'