Bûche de Noël : a French Tradition

It is no understatement to say the Bûche de Noel is one of the Christmas traditions that the French get most excited about. This log look-a-like cake is a must on the French Christmas table and a dessert no one will pass on – even on an over-filled belly. 

If you are interested in learning more about the festive origins of the Bûche de Noel, you can visit my Classic Chocolate Bûche de Noël recipe. 

In France, literally every French bakery and pastry shop offer Bûches de Nöel on their stands, from the classic to the most modern and exotic-flavored versions. With such an incredible choice of Bûches de Nöel at every corner baker, few French people make their own Bûche de Nöel at home nowadays. Although you will still find passionate homemakers (like myself) tackling this project every year.  Plus, finding a premade Bûche de Nöel outside of France is quite difficult, so making one yourself is the obvious decision. 

Making your own Bûche de Noël at home 

Despite its elaborate look, a rolled-up Bûche de Nöel is often far easier to make at home than what you may think. This lighter and easier version will in fact only take about one hour of your time, whereas most classic versions would take two to three hours of your time. 

This simple Bûche is a combination of two elements: a light vanilla Génoise sheet cake rolled into a cylinder and a simple orange-flavored mascarpone filling (plus, fresh raspberries for garnish of course). Take it step-by-step: make the Génoise cake first, then the filling, and finally assemble the cake. 

Can you make this Bûche de Noël ahead? 

Yes, not only can you, but you should! After being made and assembled, this Bûche de Noël should chill in your fridge for at least 4 hours to set and firm up. You can keep the Bûche in your fridge for up to 24 hours. Because this Bûche isn’t covered with frosting, it is also easy to wrap with plastic film to chill, without making a mess or altering its look. 

This makes it a great make-ahead dessert if you are hosting a Holiday dinner! You can prepare the Bûche the evening before or the morning of, and keep the Bûche well wrapped in your fridge until you are ready to serve. Right before serving, unwrap the log, trim off the ends and dust it with icing sugar. 

Can you freeze it? 

Yes, you can even freeze it. After being made and assembled, wrap the Bûche tightly in plastic film and freeze, for up to 1 month. The day before serving, transfer the Bûche overnight in your fridge, and allow it to thaw. 

Baking Tips: 

• I recommend you separate the eggs about 30 minutes before you start, to allow them to warm up to room temperature. The egg whites should be at room temperature for them to retain more air when beaten. It will be easier to reach a firm peak. If too cold, the whites will be stiffer and won’t welcome in air as easily. 
• Keep an eye on the oven! The Génoise sheet cake bakes fast and the edges will turn from golden to “too brown” in no time. 10 to 11 minutes (depending on your oven) should be enough. 
• Intimidated by the prospect of rolling up a cake? Here is a trick to make it easier and avoid cracks: roll up the Génoise sheet cake right out of the oven while still warm, in a clean humid kitchen cloth. You don’t want to let the cake cool before you do this. A cloth dusted with sugar works too; but I tried to limit the amount of sugar used in this recipe. Rolling the cake when it is still warm and soft keeps the cake moist and allows it to “memorize” its rolled shape. When the cake is cool, gently unroll it and immediately spread the filling into it and roll it back up. 
• I love the raspberries in this Bûche, but they are interchangeable. Exotic fruits work very well here, such as cubed ripe mangoes (same quantities), cubed ripe pineapple (same quantities), cubed ripe kiwis or passion-fruit pulp (about ½ cup) 

I hope you’ll love this Raspberry Bûche de Noël recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Classic Chocolate Bûche de Noël 
• Chestnut Cream Cake 
• Apple Breton Pound Cake
• Classic French Chocolate Truffles

Raspberry Bûche de Noël

Print Recipe

Serves: 6-8 people Prep Time: 1 Hour Cooking Time: 11 Minutes 11 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.6/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

For the Génoise cake:
4 large eggs, yolks and whites separated and at room temperature
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (125g) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt

For the filling:
1 cup + 3 tbsp (275g) mascarpone (35% m.f - 54% moisture)
Zest of an orange
1/2 cup (50g) powdered sugar
250g fresh raspberries

Instructions

For the Génoise cake: 

Step 1 - Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (205°C) with a rack in the middle. Butter a 10x15-inch (25.5cm x 38cm) rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper (the butter helps the paper "stick" to the pan). 

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until foamy and a ribbon forms when lifting the whisk. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Switch to a spatula and fold in the flour and salt. Stop mixing when just incorporated; the batter will be quite thick at this point. 

Step 3 – In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm. Add a spoonful of the egg whites to the batter and mix to loosen the consistency. Add the rest of the egg whites and gently fold in with a spatula. Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula so it covers the whole pan. 

Step 4 - Bake for 10-11 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake sheet comes out clean. Right out of the oven, lightly sprinkle a clean kitchen towel with water (to make it just humid, not wet), lay it onto your counter and turn the cake onto it. Peel off the parchment paper and immediately (and carefully) roll the cake with the kitchen towel, starting from the narrow (shorter width) side. Roll as tight as possible, without pressing onto the cake. Set aside on your counter. While the cake cools, make the filling. 

For the filling: 

Step 1 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, sugar and orange zest. Rinse and pat-fry the raspberries.

Assembling: 

Step 1 - Transfer the rolled cake onto a working surface and slowly unroll it. Evenly spread the mascarpone filling onto the entire cake sheet. Scatter raspberries evenly over top, slightly pressing them into the filling (keep a few for decorating the log later). Re-roll the cake into a log, as it previously was (minus the cloth). Wrap the log into a plastic film and chill for at least 4 hours before serving. 

For serving, unwrap the log, trim off both ends, dust with powdered sugar and top with fresh raspberries.

The post Raspberry Bûche de Noël appeared first on Pardon Your French.

The origin of the Swiss Roll.

In spite of the name “Swiss roll”, this iconic dessert is believed to have originated in Central Europe, likely Austria. And like many other countries, France adopted this dessert and made it part of its classic baking repertoire. It is notably often made to be used in the creation of a “Charlotte Royale”, made from a Bavarian cream set in a mold that’s lined with slices of raspberry jam Swiss roll. 

A Swiss Roll is easy to make. 

Despite its elaborate look, a Raspberry Jam Swiss Roll is a simple combination of only two elements: a light vanilla Genoise cake baked on a sheet pan, that is then rolled into a cylindrical shape with some raspberry jam. Trust me, you’ll soon realize how this classic dessert is far easier to make than what you might think. To ease you even further into the process, here are a few of my cooking notes and handy tips. 

Take your eggs out of the fridge two hours before 

A Génoise cake is traditionally made with no chemical leaving agents (ie. baking powder). Instead it relies on the eggs being whipped for 10 minutes to absorb and retain air. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature, so they retain more air and whip to a fuller volume – making for a fluffier cake texture. 

Avoid cracks in the Genoise Cake

The trick to preventing cracks in a Genoise cake when rolling it (or any swiss roll cake) is to roll the Genoise right out of the oven while still warm, in a clean kitchen cloth dusted with sugar. This keeps the cake moist and allows it to “memorize” its rolled shape. When the cake is cool, gently unroll it and immediately spread the jam into it and roll it back up.

Warm up the jam 

I am going the easy route here and using store-bought raspberry jam. But feel free to make your own of course. Either way, I recommend you warm up the jam slightly to make it more runny before you spread it onto the cake. A Génoise cake has a delicate texture, so you may rip the crumb off the cake if you spread a jam that is too thick. 

Let it rest 

After spreading the jam and rolling the Swiss roll into it cylinder shape, I recommend you let it rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours. This will allow for the Génoise cake to absorb some of the moisture from the jam. And the two components (Génoise cake and jam) will bind together better. The cake will be moister and better tasting. 

I hope you enjoy this Raspberry Jam Swiss Roll as much as I do!
Any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Orange Yogurt Cake 
• Raspberry Jam-Filled Sable Sandwiches
• Vanilla Chocolate Marble Cake 
• Lemon Poppy Seed French Yogurt Loaf

Raspberry Jam Swiss Roll

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 people Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 13-15 Minutes 13-15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.5/5

( 14 voted )

Ingredients

½ cup + 2 tbsp (125g) sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour (128g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ cup raspberry jam

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 375F (190F)  with a rack in the middle. Butter a 10x15-inch (25x38cm) rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment or spray it with cooking spray. Set the pan aside.

Step 1 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk with an electric hand mixer for 10 minutes, until the mixture is pale, fluffy and has tripled in volume.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Gently fold the flour into the egg mixture in three additions using a large spatula. Stop mixing when just incorporated.

Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula so it covers the whole pan. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake sheet comes out clean.

Step 2 - Right out of the oven, sprinkle a clean kitchen towel with about 1 tbsp of sugar and flip the cake onto it. Peel off the parchment paper and roll the cake in the kitchen towel, from the narrow (shorter) side. Set aside for 30 minutes.

For assembling, unroll the Genoise and evenly spread the raspberry jam (previously warmed up) onto the entire cake sheet. Roll the cake back up tightly, into a log. Cut off about 1/2inch on both ends and let it rest for at least 2 hours before sprinkling with powdered sugar.

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench  and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench.  Bon Appetit! 

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The post Raspberry Jam Swiss Roll appeared first on Pardon Your French.

I often say it, but this dessert is far more simple to make than it looks. It consists of a Pâte sablée (shortcrust) which you make at home (or purchase), and of a frangipane filling which is done is two minutes by mixing simple ingredients in one bowl. The raspberries are left fresh and bare. See, simple!

This Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart is a beautiful, decadent yet not too sweet dessert that’s best when raspberries are ripe and in season.  

How to make this Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart

This recipe begins with the making of a Pâte Sablée (“sandy” shortcrust pastry). I am providing below (in the recipe section) the directions to make your own pastry from scratch – which I always find makes a huge difference in taste/quality. But if you are in a time crunch or simply don’t feel like doing it, using a store-bought shortcrust works too. The crust doesn’t need any blind baking before being filled with Frangipane.  

Next, you prepare the Pistachio Frangipane. “Frangipane” is a sweet filling traditionally made from ground almonds and used extensively in French baking to fill pies, such as the Classic Bourdaloue Tart (a recipe you can find in my cookbook) and the Galette des Rois. In this version, pistachios are added to the mix. They add another layer of nutty flavor, pairing beautifully with the raspberries and providing a pretty green color as well.

Make sure you obtain unsalted pistachios and grind them in a blender (ie. Vitamix) or a big mortar. Keep some whole pistachios aside, and chop them later on for decoration. Once ground, mix the pistachios with egg yolks, sugar, ground almonds, heavy cream and pistachio extract (or almond extract – they both work well). This frangipane filling is then poured into the crust and baked for 45 minutes, until a slight golden crust forms at the top. The inside remains a nice green color with a creamy texture.

Once the tart has cooled down to room temperature, fresh raspberries are placed at the top and then sprinkled with some coarsely chopped pistachios.

My Cooking notes:

• Making your own Pâte sablée (“sandy” shortcrust pastry) will make a big difference. But using a store-bought piecrust works too.
• Fresh raspberries are a natural match to this creamy pistachio frangipane filling. As Summer progresses and raspberries go out of season, try this tart with fresh ripe apricots, peaches or plums (cut in thin slices).

I hope you’ll love this Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart. It is a beautiful Summer dessert to serve on a weekend, for a family gathering or for any big occasion.

You can prepare it ahead of time and chill it in the fridge for up to 5 hours before serving.

You may also like:

• Apricot Frangipane Tart 
• Classic French Lemon Tart 
• Classic French Tarte Tatin 
• Strawberry Basil Galette 
• Mixed Berry Jalousie

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pardonyourfrench on Instagram and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench

Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 people Prep Time: 45 minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.8/5

( 22 voted )

Ingredients

For the Pâte sablée :
1 ¼ cup (155g) all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (50g) sugar
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes.
2 egg yolks

For the Pistachio Frangipane:
50g unsalted pistachios, shelled and ground
+ 20 g unsalted pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped
4 large egg yolks
½ cup (100g) sugar
120g ground almonds
200ml Heavy Cream (+35%MF)
1 tsp Pistachio extract (or Almond extract)

350g fresh raspberries

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte sablée – In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Add the cubed butter and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly, sandy texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the egg yolks and combine until the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

Step 2 – Make the Pistachio Frangipane – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 50g of ground pistachios with the egg yolks, sugar, ground almonds, heavy cream and pistachio extract (or almond extract), until homogeneous and creamy. Set aside.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F(180C) with a rack in the middle. 

Take the Pâte sablée of the fridge. Place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 5mm (0.2inch) thickness. Line the pie dish bottom and sides with crust – don’t worry if the crust tears, you can easily patch it together and press to seal. Trim the edges all around and poke the bottom evenly with a fork.

Pour the frangipane into the pie crust and use the back of a spoon to smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes, until the filling is set and golden on top. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for 1 hour.

Step 3 - Assemble the tart – Rinse and gently pat dry the fresh raspberries. Place them on top of the filling to cover the entirety of the tart. Start by placing a raspberry (hole-side down) in the center and work your way around, making sure the raspberries are aligned nice and tight. For serving, sprinkle with the 20g of coarsely chopped pistachios that you set aside earlier. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench  and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench.  Bon Appetit! 

The post Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart appeared first on Pardon Your French.

They’re very popular all throughout France and can be found in most bakeries around the country, ready to be enjoyed for “le goûter” (4pm French snack time). You can find them sold in most grocery stores in France too, but they’re a breeze to make at home from scratch – and the result is so pretty!

The Lunettes de Romans cookies are traditionally oblong in shape with two holes in the middle, which explains their name “lunettes” (eye glasses, in English). But because a scalloped oblong cookie cutter is harder to find, I opted for a simple scalloped round cutter and only one hole in the middle. This makes these Sablé Sandwiches more accessible and smaller too (so you can have more!).

Cooking notes :

• Do not over-knead the dough or the sablés will be tough.
• Keep on eye on the oven while you bake the sablés, as they have to remain quite pale in color (much paler than the Breton sablés, for instance) and can turn too golden very quickly. If too baked and golden, they will be tough and end up difficult to eat with the jam in the middle (they will crumble and the sandwich gets messy).
• Lunettes de Romans are traditionally made with Rasberry jam. I love to use Bonne Maman jams (no ads, I just love their jams!). But you can opt for the jam of your choosing: strawberry, blueberry, apricot, orange marmalade…or even lemon curd, caramel or hazelnut spread.
• I even prefer these Lunettes the next day. The Sablé cookie is a little bit more tender (from the moisture of the jam), the jam is less runny (it gets a bit stickier the next day) and the sandwiches are better sealed together – they are less messy and more even enjoyable to eat.

Raspberry Jam-Filled Sablé Sandwiches (Lunettes de Romans)

Print Recipe

Serves: 12 cookies Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.6/5

( 31 voted )

Ingredients

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (95g), unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes
1 ¾ cup (220g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for the working surface
½ cup + 1 tbsp (75g) powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting.
½ tsp salt
3 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup (240g) Raspberry jam

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes above before you start.

Step 1 – Make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cubed butter, flour, powdered sugar and salt. Mix the ingredients using the palm of your hands to create a coarse sandy texture. Add in the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and mix until the dough comes together into a smooth ball (do not over-knead). Cover with plastic film and chill for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C) and prepare 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Step 2 – Shape and cut the sablés. Transfer the dough from the fridge onto a floured working surface. Roll it out to a 3mm thickness. Using a 2.5-inch (6.25 cm) cookie cutter (ideally, scalloped), cut out 24 cookie circles. Using a 1-inch (2.5cm) cookie cutter, cut a hole out of the center of half of the cookie circles.

Step 3 – Baking the sablés. Transfer the sablés circles (with no hole in the center) onto a baking sheet and the other half (with the holes) onto the other baking sheet. Bake the first batch (sablés with no holes – the “bottoms”) for 11-12 minutes, until the rims are just slighty golden. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack. Bake the second batch (sablés with holes – the “tops”) for 8-9 minutes.

Step 4 – Assembling the sablés sandwiches. Once the cookies are at room temperature, place 1 tablespoon (15g) of jam at the center of each cookie bottom. Dust the cookie tops with powdered sugar and place them on top of the jam, to close off the cookie sandwich.

Can be kept up to 4 days in an airtight container.

If you try this Raspberry Jam-Filled Sablé Sandwiches (Lunettes de Romans) recipe let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram. Bon Appétit!

A recipe adapted from Regal. 

The post Raspberry Jam-Filled Sablé Sandwiches (Lunettes de Romans) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Speaking of which, I am excited to be sharing with you today, Mardi Michel’s recipe for raspberry financiers, from her debut cookbook In the French Kitchen with Kids: Easy, Everyday Dishes for the Whole Family to Make and Enjoy. And I am telling you right now, these are some of the best financiers I have ever baked, and enjoyed.

I have been following Mardi’s culinary adventures through her blog for a little while now. If you don’t know her, Mardi is a Toronto-based food writer and a French elementary school teacher, who also runs cooking classes for kids. Her style is genuine and approchable, and it’s likely one of the reason why she’s been so successful at blogging. So much so, she now has released her first cookbook and she’s already receiving amazing praise for it.

I received a copy of Mardi’s book a few weeks ago and it hasn’t left my kitchen counter since then. As a French native, I am so happy to find a cookbook of French classics that feels both so authentic and adjustable to my Canadian kitchen. The tone is fun and recipes are thorough, a perfect mix for making kids and kids-at-heart eager to get cooking.

And beyond teaching kids the important life skill that is cooking, I like to think In the French Kitchen with Kids serves other purposes too…

First, it is an appealing cookbook boasting with beautiful, essential French recipes. I personally know it’s one of my new go-to books, and that I’ll often reach for it whenever I want to make a crowd-pleasing and effortless French staple for my Canadian peers – recipes like madeleines, croissants, a ratatouille or a scrumptious cheesy pasta bake.  

But secondly, I see this book as a great effort to debunk some cliches on French cuisine. With kid-tailored recipes and handy tips, Mardi shows us a French cuisine that is approachable and fun – far from what most people think. Too many people still see French cuisine as a sophisticated, intricate art that only professionally skilled chefs can master in their own kitchen. But truth is, French cooking is filled with easy, simple recipes that any homecooks (be it adults or kids) can whip up effortlessly in just a few minutes. This approach is so necessary for people to finally understand the simplicity of French cuisine and give them the empowerment they need to go back to the kitchen and take the time to prepare feel-good meals for the whole family.

Because if kids can do it, we can all do it, right?

So really (and whether you have kids or not), this book is a must-have if you’re curious about French cuisine, but have been too shy to tackle it, or if you’re simply looking for a new set of comforting yet healthy(ish) recipes to add to your repertoire.

In the French Kitchen with Kids: Easy, Everyday Dishes for the Whole Family to Make and Enjoy is in stores today. Find it where books are sold, or online at Indigo and Amazon. Bon appetit, and enjoy these delicious raspberry financiers!

Raspberry Financiers

Print Recipe

Serves: 24 financiers Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 10-12 Minutes 10-12 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.0/5

( 8 voted )

Ingredients

Unsalted butter for greasing the pan
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup(50g) almond meal
1/3 cup(50g) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Icing sugar, for sprinkling
12 raspberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C). If you are using a nonstick mini muffin pan you may not need to butter them, but otherwise generously butter the cups of the pan.

Melt the butter either in a small pot on the stove-top over medium heat or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute. Set aside to cool.

Beat the egg whites until frothy with handheld electric beaters on high speed, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, almond meal, flour and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold them in gently with a rubber spatula until just combined.

Add the cooled, melted butter to the batter and use a rubber spatula to gently mix until the butter is completely incorporated.

Divide the batter between the cups of the muffin You can do this with a 11/2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a small spoon. Fill each cup almost to the top.

Just before you bake the financiers, cut 12 raspberries in half and place one half, cut side down, on top of each financier. Press down gently.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the center is slightly puffed and the edges are golden and slightly crispy and coming away from the There may be cracks in the tops. That’s totally okay!

Remove the financiers from the muffin pan immediately and allow to cool on wire racks.

Once they have cooled completely, sprinkle them with icing sugar to serve. These are best eaten the day they are made, although they can keep for a couple of days in an airtight container at room temperature.

The post Mardi’s Raspberry Financiers appeared first on Pardon Your French.