It’s the most festive time of year, and since we don’t want to find ourselves on the naughty list, we want to be completely honest with you: It’s not the presents that make us most excited for this time of year, but all the sweet treats we’re bound to be munching on! Images of sugary fudge, Christmas cookies, holiday logs, gingerbread houses and candy canes dance in our heads when we daydream of the holidays all December long and we just can’t wait to bite into any sweet, sugary goodness we can get our hands on!
But that’s not even the best part! During the holidays, any baking you delight in is completely guilt-free! It’s finally time to reward yourself for all your good behaviour throughout the year. In fact, it’s your duty to indulge in all things you crave and bake your heart away! You’ll want to savour some of the best treats of the season and take full advantage! This week, we have two cheerfully perfect recipes for this delectable time of year. Add these to your family traditions or list of Christmas baking classics, and everyone, including yourself, will be munching on these treats in no-time. Everyone will marvel at your amazing baking skills! In collaboration with the extraordinary Instagrammers and bakers, Gabrielle and Émilie, we have created two holiday-inspired dessert recipes perfect for any occasion!
Get your taste buds ready for an explosion of chocolaty-goodness with our Black Forest and Beer Yule Log or our Cookie Dough Fudge. Whether your wish is to wow guests at the end of a memorable feast or to simply surprise someone special with a small treat (Santa might just love trying something new), these recipes will make this holiday season extra merry. Are you ready to warm up your kitchen with all the best tastes of the season? Before you get mixing the delicious chocolatey ingredients, make sure you are prepared! For these recipes you will need a 15” baking sheet for the log, and a 8” x 10” square baking dish for the fudge.
Start your holidays right by baking these delicious recipes!
Black Forest and Beer Yule Log
Cake will need to be refrigerated for 4 hours before serving.
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup dark cocoa
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup semi-salted butter
- ¾ cup dark beer
- 1 ½ cups frozen cranberries
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp dark beer
- 1 ½ cup 35% whipped cream
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- Chocolate shavings for decoration.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F and put the grill in the middle.
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Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Put the yolks aside and whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until they make soft peaks.
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Gradually add ½ cup of brown sugar to the egg whites. Whip until it makes a meringue that is shiny and consistent.
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In the meantime, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt all together in a small bowl.
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In a larger bowl, cream the butter and ½ cup brown sugar. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the black beer.
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Add the meringue to the mix by folding it gently.
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Pour the mix on the baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Place in the oven and cook for about 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
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Place the cranberries, sugar and beer in a pot. Mix well and put it on the stove.
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Let it simmer for about 12 minutes.
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Then let it cool completely before using.
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Put the whipped cream, the icing sugar, and the vanilla in a large bowl.
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Beat the ingredients together until they reach a consistent texture.
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Place it in the fridge for about 2 hours.
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Place the sponge cake on the counter with the parchment paper.
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Spoon half of the whipped cream on the entire sponge cake. Repeat the same process with the cranberry compote.
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Start rolling the sponge cake. As you roll it, make sure that the cake is rolled tightly and that you remove the parchment paper.
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Cover the rest of the yule log with whipped cream and decorate it to your liking.
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Place the cake in the fridge for 4 hours before serving.
Cookie Dough Fudge
Fudge must be refrigerated for 6 hours before serving.
- ½ cup semi-salted butter
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp milk
- 2 cups 75% dark chocolate
- 300 ml condensed milk
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In a large bowl, cream the butter. Then add the white sugar, brown sugar and milk.
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Add in the flour and the chocolate chips.
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Put some flour on your hands and shape the dough into a cylinder. Cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
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Butter a 8" x 10" square pan. Put aside.
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Put the chocolate and the condensed milk in a bowl and place it on a double boiler. Mix until the chocolate is completely melted.
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Remove from the stove and let it cool down a few minutes. Meanwhile, take the cookie dough out of the fridge and start cutting it into small pieces.
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Mix the fudge with half of the cookie dough delicately.
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Pour the mix into the pan and place the other half of the cookie dough on top of the fudge.
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Let it sit in the fridge for about 6 hours.
Satisfy your sweet tooth this holiday season!
Gabrielle and Émilie met about a year ago when Émilie was finishing her masters in biology and Gabrielle was a student at Cégep de l’Outaouais. They got to know each other when they had the chance to work together at a local bakery. They quickly became collaborators, having both cooking and baking as mutual passions. They adore cooking together in their spare time, especially throughout the summer of 2017, while Émilie was pregnant! In the kitchen, they complement each other well, Gabrielle with her photography skills and Émilie with her imagination. Together, they create beautiful culinary projects, that are simple and delicious!