Financier’s Bûche de Noël
I figured it was too late to post about my first bûche de Noël experience before I left NYC to spend the holidays with my family in Ohio, but since Blondie & Brownie revealed that Financier is still selling them, it looks like I’m good to go.
Being from the Midwest and being very much culturally sheltered, I had no idea what a bûche de Noël was until my office decided on a whim to order a couple of cakes from the downtown Financier Patisserie the week before Christmas. When I called at 3 p.m., the order-taker told me that they were down to a couple of roll cakes, one in white chocolate and one in Grand Marnier. I told her I’d take them, but she kept stressing that these were not normal cakes and kept asking if I was sure I wanted them. I was like, “Lady, cake is cake.”
But no! A traditional bûche de Noël is a French sponge cake rolled up with frosting to resemble a log, complete with buttercream bark, meringue mushrooms, and protruding branches (made of chocolate, in this case). The Grand Marnier version was entirely untraditional, but the mound of berry-flavored mousse was no less delicious.
I usually think Financier’s cakes are too light and fluffy to really count as a decadent dessert (because I’m a glutton), but the yule log was a total exception and one that I’ll look forward to next year. It seems like the woman at Financier shouldn’t have been warning me about the cake but should’ve been asking why I wasn’t buying all three.
Is this something normal, non-Midwestern people often eat for Christmas?
10 Comments
Ash Bancale
Yeah apparently they’re huge on this in France. Like, we had one for dessert almost every single night (even also for lunch sometimes). They even have ice cream ones. Hey, you won’t hear me complaining ;).
plumpdumpling
You were actually the one who revealed to me that these are even called bûche de Noël (bûches de Noël? I have no idea how to pluralize that). When I unveiled them at the office, you were like, “Yule log!” or something, and I was like, “Ohhhhhh.”
I am CRAZY jealous of your trip even more now.
Heesa Phadie
Damn you!!! I want that right now. Do you have any lefties you could air me?
plumpdumpling
Not a chance. But I’m fully available to accompany you to Financier today if you want to hit them with a Will They Build It? involving eclairs, sacher tortes, and petit fours.
Heesa Phadie
Man!!!!! Why you gotta go there? I would be there in a second if I could.
:) You saw the State Fair burger?
plumpdumpling
It’s truly a work of art, although not as delicious at the McDonald’s attempt. (Though the funnel cake sticks idea was truly inspired.)
Is it better for me to comment on ETR or TC?
Heesa Phadie
Hahaha….wait till you see the next one.
Comment on TC..although I need to get better about replying over there. It’s all a transition and a work in progress. I’ll get better. Shortly there won’t be a ETR.
Bachelor Girl
Far as I know, we don’t eat Buche de Noel in Louisiana, either (which seems odd, given our many French influences), but it looks and sounds delish.
plumpdumpling
Seriously, I thought you of all people would be eating them every year. Not just because you live in a French-ish area but because I figured you’re just the type of girl to enjoy eating logs.
Tracey
Meringue mushrooms! Did you all fight over those? They look so neat!