Ginger bread curse and yummy Yule log

There is a bit of a story behind why I had decided to make a Yule log this year.

See, we live under a terrible, awful, no good curse.

*cue scary music*

We live under the curse of the ginger bread house failure.

*cue evil laughter*

I tell you no lies.  

We have not ever made a ginger bread house that has not come to some horrid fate.

There was the year that ants invaded our ginger bread rolled log cabin's green coconut lawn- making the whole thing taste and smell like ants.

The year I had forgotten to remove the ginger bread house, from the lounge room while I fumigated.

The year my daughter put her foot through the ginger bread house on it's way somewhere to be eaten for Christmas.

The year I made a ginger bread castle that came to ruin mid season.

And the year, where the icing (that the girls made) did not take and and we had ginger bread house slabs.

Just to prove I can actually make ginger bread houses, this one was the one that got fumigated - no we didn't eat it. 

So... 2011 became the year of the Yule Log, to see if we could try and trick fate.

I also thought it would be nice to involve the children more and teach who ever wanted to learn something, a new skill.

Emi, my 13 year old daughter was keen to try making the Yule log.

We were going to make Kirstie's award winning Yule Log, but unfortunately the morning of Christmas Eve rolled around and 4oD hadn't put the recipe up.

While they kindly suggested that I re watch the show to get the recipe, I didn't have time to on Christmas Eve when I was up to my eye balls baking for my family of 7.   

Nor unfortunately the capabilities on my laptop that needs upgrading. 

But I have it book marked for next year.

I then was going to make Nigella's which also looks scrummy, but wasn't sure about the no flour element.  And the daughter making said Yule log, wanted it cakey.

So, I finally settled on Mary Cadogan's recipe, which I found on the BBC and had pretty good reviews. 

I won't re write the recipe, because you can follow the link above, but I will tell you what I think.

It was very easy to make- a teenager could, and did make it easily, with my supervision. 

We didn't use expensive chocolate, as we were minimising costs.  

We used Aldi Choceur chocolate, which was very nice.  

I used 400 gr of plain and 50 gr of dark as my children don't really like dark chocolate.  

After a couple of days it does feel a little dry, but smeared with something creamy it still tastes great.

I can understand now what the advantages of Nigella's no flour recipe would be (as it wouldn't be as dry).

Do chop up the bits like the recipe said, the chocolate bits in the filling were a nice touch.

I would make this recipe again, given that it was easy and something that all the children liked and that in my book is a win win situation.

My daughter managed the decoration herself, I just added the icing sugar and the pine cones.

.... Yes I will endeavour to do something about the photos soon.

Thanks for bearing with. 

I am not sure if we have beaten the ginger bread house curse, only time will tell.  

If nothing else we have learnt and included a new tradition into our Christmas baking regime.

Did you add any new traditions this year?

x

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