Yule Log Cake

Here comes my most favourite Christmas special "YULE LOG CAKE". I had a wrong assumption in my mind that this cake is very difficult to make but trust me it is very simple. This is a chocolate lovers cake. Many flavour variations can be made but the the traditional log is definitely Chocolate.

Ingredients:
6 Large Eggs (seperated)
150 gms Caster Sugar
50 gms Cocoa powder

For the icing:
200 gms Unsalted Butter
250 gms Dark Chocolate
50 gms Brown sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
200 ml fresh cream
4 tablespoons Icing sugar

Method:

• Preheat the oven 180 degree celsius .
• In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg yolks and add the caster sugar, whisk for about 5 mins.
• Sieve the cocoa powder and add to the yolk mixture and whisk.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until thick and peaking. 
• Fold the egg whites with the yolk mixture very carefully to avoid losing the air and make sure it is well mixed.
• Line a Swiss roll tin with baking parchment, pour the cake mixture and bake it in the oven for 20 mins.
• Let the cake cool for a while to avoid the cake from drying cover loosely with a clean towel.
• To make the icing, melt the chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water.
• Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract and stir till the sugar dissolves.
• Let it cool in the refrigerator for about an hour, once in a while stir the mixture to avoid the chocolate set separately.
• Whisk the cream and Icing sugar till the cream gets thicken.
• Sit the flat chocolate cake on a large piece of baking parchment, spread a part of the chocolate icing over the sponge and spread the fresh cream icing as the second layer.
• Start rolling from the long side facing you, taking care to get a tight roll from the beginning, and roll up to the other side. Pressing against the parchment, rather than the tender cake.
• Cut both the ends slightly at a gentle angel and place the Swiss roll on a board or long dish.
• Spread the yule log with the remaining icing, covering the cut-off ends as well as the whole cake.
• If you feel the icing is sticky and not able to spread evenly, wet your fingers slightly and make the icing even.
• Create the wood-like texture by marking along the length of the log with a skewer or fork, remembering to do wibbly circles, as in tree rings, on each end.
• Sieve the Icing sugar on the cake for dusting to give a snow effect.
• Allow the cake to set in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hrs.
  

Tip

Make the yule log up to 1 week ahead and store in an airtight container in a very cool place.

Mutton Kola urundai (Minced Mutton Balls)

This is best for starters and if you find excessive mutton balls, you can prepare a normal gravy and add these balls. It tastes yummy. Ingredients are simple and the method too.

Ingredients

100 grams minced Boneless Mutton

1 tablespoon roasted split chick peas (pottukadalai)

4-6 Dry red chilly

1 teaspoon fennel powder

Small piece of Ginger

3-4 Garlic cloves

1 tablespoon Grated Coconut

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder

4 Shallots

1 clove

1 Egg (optional)

2 Cashews (optional)

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Salt

Oil for frying

Method

• Wash the minced mutton once and grain water completely.
• In a food processor grind roasted chick peas, dry red chilly, ginger, garlic, coconut, shallots, clove, cashew without adding water. If you feel difficult to grind just sprinkle some water and grind.
• Then add the minced mutton and grind well without adding water.
• Add turmeric powder, salt, fennel powder, egg, chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves and mix well.
• In a pan, add oil and heat in medium flame. Make small balls from the mixture and fry till it turns golden brown. This may take 3-5 minutes.

Note

• Egg and cashews are purely optional, generally when i prepare this kola urundai i won't add these two, but in general it has been used.
• Grinding the mixture without adding water is preferred.
• If you have a feel that it may smell and taste raw, no worries..... definitely it won't smell or taste raw. 
• Adjust chilly according to taste.

Paavakai Chips (Bitter gourd chips)

Most of us hesitate to have Bitter gourd as the name itself tells us it is very bitter. This is a good evening snack. Got this recipe from Sharmispassion, but did small alterations. This is very flavorful and must try and doesn't absorb much oil.

Ingredients
4 Bitter Gourd 
2 1/2 tablespoon Rice flour
2 tablespoon Corn flour
4 tablespoon Chickpea flour
1 1/2 tablespoon chilly powder
1 tablespoon Fennel powder
A pinch of Cumin powder
Salt

Method

• Wash Bitter gourd and allow it to dry. Slice it evenly thin.
• Take a bowl and mix the rest of the ingredients together.
• Sprinkle the mixture to the sliced bitter gourd and add 1 or 2 tablespoon of water.
• Mix well, don't add too much of water. (The water is added so that all the dry ingredients get stick to the bitter gourd).
• Heat oil and fry them until most of the bubbles are gone or when it turns golden brown. 
• Leave these chips in a kitchen tissue paper so that it absorbs all oil and then store in a air-tight container.

Note

• Cut the Bitter gourd and refrigerate. Mix other ingredients on the next day,  by doing this way personally i felt it is much crispier than the usual chips.
• In most of the paavakai chips recipe, they have mentioned to bake for 5 mins, which personally i felt not required. 

Panna cotta

After a very long gap, i'm back to blogging:) 

As this is gonna be my first recipe for this year, lets start with a dessert.
Yeah...... definitely very easy recipe. PANNA COTTA.
When i first heard this word, i thought "oh very tough tough one to do at home".
 Panna cotta is a traditional, delicious Italian dessert. The time to preparation and cooking  of this recipe is just 15 mins. But one thing.... this takes time to set, You have to refrigerate for at least 4 hrs, but i definitely recommend to refrigerate for overnight. So if you are planning for a nice dinner, do this the day before.

Ingredients

1/3 cup milk
2 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1 1/2 teaspoon)

Method

• In a small bowl pour cold milk and sprinkle the gelatin powder and keep it aside. (Do not stir the gelatin but make sure it is soaked well).
• In a saucepan with medium heat, add heavy cream and sugar. Bring to full boil, when the cream is about to rise to the top of pan, switch off the heat.
• Pour the softened gelatin and vanilla extract to the cream mixture. 
• Do not boil the cream mixture after adding gelatin and vanilla.
• Strain your cream mixture with a filter.
• Pour the cream mixture in 5-6 ramekin dishes or any glass cup.
• Cool the ramekins uncovered at room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wraps and refrigerate for at least  4 hrs but overnight refrigeration is preferred.

Note

• If you do not have ramekins, absolutely no probs you can pour in any glass bowl.
• Adding more taste to it, you can add caramel syrup or any fruit syrup of your choice.