December 22, 2006

appy Yule everyone!! What is Yule? It is Winter Solstice. Which means this is the shortest day of the year today. Then tomorrow, until mid-June when it is Summer Solstice, the days will be getting longer and longer again. 

Yesterday I did my town errands and the post office AGAIN for the 5th day in a row. I asked the clerks if they were sick of seeing me yet. I should head to town to mail more magazines, but I will be mailing them on Tuesday of next week.  Today I have to run back and forth between here and a friends house to open up their house and get it warm for them as they have not been living in it for 3 months. So I will take the toboggan over there and skid wood to the house from the woodshed and get a roaring fire going for them and see if I can figure out how to turn their water and electric on. Always a challenge opening up someone else's house. 

Turkey butchering tomorrow morning and delivering it to another friend. Thursday morning did not work with doctor appointments I had to go with a friend to. So yesterday afternoon was involved in cutting patterns and material out. I also do medieval re-enactment, so I am making some new garb for me, 'stepson' and my bf. As usual, the sewing machine did things no one has ever seen before, so I am going to hand sew these things. 1 dress and 2 shirts and 1 jerkin. Unless I can talk my friend into sewing them for me and I will do the embroidery work for her on her dress. 

I went to "Teenager's" basketball game last night. It was a GREAT game. 54/62. We lost, but they were playing against college athletes who were alumni from the high school years ago and still played basketball.

Making an edible Yule log for tonight and then two on Sunday. I may light a small fire tonight in celebration.  

The Yule Log signifies the death of darkness and the warmth of the Sun during the newly born solar year and the log is usually lit the Winter Solstice. According to tradition, the log should burn continuously for twelve days, and a bit of wood should be saved to start the next year's fire.

If you cannot burn a real Yule fire, you can still make a rather tasty Yule Log. This is one (well 3) I am making this year.

Chocolate Almond Yule Log

Lightly grease 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. Line bottom with waxed paper. Grease again. Set aside.

In small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar and water to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer 1 minute. Set aside to cool.

In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar at high speed until foamy. Add 1/3 cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating constantly until sugar is dissolved (rub just a bit of meringue between thumb and forefinger to feel if sugar has dissolved) and whites are glossy and stand in soft peaks.

In small mixing bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining 1/3 cup of the sugar until blended. Beat in vanilla, almond extract and salt. In small bowl, stir together ground almonds and flour. Sprinkle over whites. Add beaten yolk mixture. Gently, but thoroughly, fold yolk mixture and almond mixture into whites. Pour into prepared pan. Gently spread evenly.

Bake in preheated 400° F oven until top springs back when lightly touched with finger, about 10 to 12 minutes. Dust clean tea towel with confectioner’s sugar. With spatula, loosen cake from sides of pan and invert onto prepared towel. Carefully pull waxed paper off bottom of cake. Trim all edges with serrated knife.

Stir liqueur, if desired, into cooled, reserved sugar syrup. Spoon evenly over inside surface of hot cake. Starting from short edge, roll up cake, rolling towel with cake. Place wrapped roll seam-side down on wire rack until cool, about 30 minutes.

Carefully unroll cake. Spread with about 1 cup chocolate frosting. Reroll. Place seam-side down on serving platter. Spread with about 1 cup additional frosting, using small spatula to create tree-bark effect. Garnish with sliced almonds, candies and cherries, if desired.

Note: If prepared in advance, baked and cooled cake may be frozen without filling. Wrap well with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. To thaw, let wrapped cake stand at room temperature about 1 hour.