Yule be glad you tried it. (Favourite Homemade Christmas Recipes)

Member Name: GillMN

Product:	Favourite Homemade Christmas Recipes
Date:	25/09/08 (172 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy and quick to make. (About twenty minutes.)

Disadvantages: Very Moreish so not good for the waistline.

This is a very simple way to make a Yule Log cake.

~~~You will need~~~

1 packet of gingernut biscuits. (The larger in diameter the better)
1 Large tub of whipping cream.
2 Tablespoons of cointreau (Or your favourite liqueur!)
1 Teaspoon of cocoa powder.
A sprinkling of icing sugar if you have it.
Any little christmas cake decorations you might want to add.
1 Rectangle of aluminium foil.
A fork to make the pattern on the top.

~~~How to do it~~~~

Take all the gingernuts out of the pack and lay them flat.
Dribble the liquer you have chosen over them so they all get a bit.
Whilst that is soaking in, (take the spoon out of your mouth all the liquer has gone now!) beat the cream into a firm consistency.
Put aside approximately half the cream.
Lay the foil loosely onto a long plate.
Use a knife to put a portion of cream onto one side of a gingernut biscuit.
Put a portion of cream on another biscuit and sandwich them together. Stand it on edge on the foil.
Continue doing this until the whole packet is laid alongside one another with a filling of cream between each biscuit. Don't put any on the two outside biccies.
Wrap the foil tightly around the biscuits keeping a nice even cylindrical shape.
Put it in the fridge to chill.

Take the remaining whipped cream and mix in enough cocoa to make it a light brown colour. Or you could leave it white to look like snow.

Take the dish the cream was in and lick it out. (This is nothing to do with being greedy, it just gives the biscuits a little longer to chill!)

Take the biscuits out of the fridge and carefully unwrap them and place them centrally (lying down!) on the plate you want to serve you cake on.

Completely cover the biscuits with the cocoa coloured cream. I use a flat knife to spread it all on with. Use the fork (and summon up your artistic muse,) to create a bark effect on the log. (I love this bit but then I am just a big soft kid!)

If you want, you can then add your little decorations. We used a tiny robin for ages until my son's dog ate it. (Revenge for not being given any cake?)

For an even richer alternative add very, very finely chopped nuts and apricots to the cream filling. (Make sure the tinned apricots are dry first)

Make this cake at least three hours before you want to serve it to give the liquer and cream time to soak in and soften the ginger nuts to a cake like consistency.

This is a delicious once a year treat which serves six to eight people.

Voila!

Summary: A rich tasting alternative 'Yule Log' with no cooking involved.