Solstice Yule Cake

Winter Solstice and the Yule Log….

Every Winter Solstice my family turns off all the lights in the evening, lights a fire in the fireplace, lights a million candles, spreads a blanket in front of the fire/ Yule tree and has dinner on the living room floor. Not only is it a lovely way to celebrate the darkest night, but it’s also a great opportunity to turn off electronics and lights and just enjoy each other’s company. The kids think it’s hysterical to walk around the house with a lantern and it’s an incredibly relaxing night in a busy stressful season. Every year we have Swedish meatballs (which are referred to as ikea meatballs in my house… ) and a bouche de noel or Yule log cake. Some years it’s really simple and some years I go crazy making marzipan mushrooms. Every year my youngest asks me why we are eating a piece of wood 😂 ⁠
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So why are we eating a piece of wood anyway? Historians have different answers on when ancient people started burning Yule logs, but it was commonplace across a number of European, Nordic and Slavic cultures. The burning of large fires to mark the Winter Solstice extended far outside of Europe as well. Traditionally a Yule log was huge- even a whole tree, but various local customs emerged about what type of wood you should use and how it should be procured. (Birch, oak and cherry were popular choices) Then in the 1800s French bakers put a new spin on the tradition and started making Yule logs out of chocolate and cake. ⁠I use a gluten free recipe from Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple and before I knew I was a celiac I loved one from Perfect Cakes. Both are books well worth owning. I form the mushrooms by hand from marzipan. It isn’t as hard as it looks, the white ones are a half circle with a skinny teardrop shape stuck on the bottom! Give it a try– at the least you’ll have fun!

And that is why we eat a piece of wood! ⁠Happy Holidays!

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