Christmas Yule Log (kids vlog edition)

I first posted a recipe for a chocolate yule log over a decade ago. Since then it has become an annual staple of our Christmas baking traditions. I've experimented over the years with various tweaks and permutations (one year we made little chocolate pine cones from chocolate icing studded with chocolate cereal crescents - see below).

We've all decided the best version of it is to lean in to the Black Forest theme by including a layer of morello cherries scattered over the cream (which is sweetened with their juice). This year, Frankie made it almost completely by herself - here's how...

Rhubarb and cherry upside down cake

Upside down cake is one of my favourite kinds of cake.  This one is made with fresh rhubarb and glacé cherries that have been soaked in amaretto (although fresh cherries would work nicely).  Perfect for a wintery Sunday evening in front of the fire.

Gin and Lime Gâteau au Yaourt with gin berry coulis

I recently read about Gâteau au Yaourt, a staple in French home baking and often the first thing that children in France learn to cook.  That’s because it can be made be using two small yoghurt pots, which once you’ve emptied out the yoghurt, you use to measure out the rest of the ingredients.  I decided though to make a more grown up version, with fresh lime zest and juice, and a good glug of gin.  I served it with a coulis of mixed berries, which I also added gin and lime to.  It’s lovely and light and airy, with a great crust on top. 

Fruit cake (7 inch square)

I’ve been asked by my friend Debbie in work to make a three-tiered wedding cake for her friend Lorna’s wedding in October.  We’re about to go on holiday for a fortnight, so I decided to get a head start and make the fruit cake for the top tier before we leave.  I’m then going to give it to Debbie to cake sit for me, and feed it brandy every few days while we’re away!

Kitchen sink cookies

These cookies are so-called because you can chuck in any mixture of chocolate, nuts and dried fruit you have in your cupboards.  I used a mixture of Galaxy chocolate (milk and cookie crumble), toasted macadamias and pecans, dried cranberries and natural glace cherries.  You could substitute this for anything else - white chocolate, dark chocolate, crystallised ginger, pistachios, peanuts, hazelnuts, dried apricots, pears, peaches, fudge, mini marshmallows... These are lovely chewy, soft cookies and will disappear quickly!

Cherry scones

It must be the Royal Jubilee in the air or something, but I seem to be drawn to making some classic British cakes at the moment - last week it was mini Victoria sponge cakes, and today my Saturday morning baking session was to whip up some classic scones.  Except that instead of raisins I decided to use some delicious natural glacé cherries that I bought recently in the local farmers' market.  Eaten warm out of the oven, the joke is true: what do you call a cake that disappears super fast?  Scone! 

White chocolate florentines

These are really easy biscuits to make and take no time at all - but just be careful to watch them when baking so they don't burn.  I've coated mine in white chocolate but they are lovely with dark or milk chocolate too.