![\"Buche-De-Noel_1366\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/r9f.352.myftpupload.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Buche-De-Noel_1366.jpg?resize=500%2C433\")
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Every year I have the intention of making a Buche de Noel<\/em> for our Christmas Eve feast. And every year I revise my plans as the reality of unwrapped presents, unpolished silver, and undecked halls lays claim to my diminishing time and energy. My daughter tried<\/a> a few years ago when she was organizing my recipes to curb my hoarding tendencies and delusions by saying, \u201cGet real–when are you ever going to make\u00a0Buche de Noel<\/em>\u00a0with Meringue Mushrooms?\u201d But I stopped her from throwing away the yellowed clipping. A woman can dream, can\u2019t she?<\/p>\n This year, I was determined that my dream would finally become reality. I had more time to prepare, and more help, what with my husband retired and both daughters back in the area. Plus\u00a0I planned to outsource the meringue mushrooms to the fancy Italian bakery that churns out such delicacies in exchange for a small fortune.<\/p>\n Make that \u201cchurned.\u201d Alas, Rulli\u2019s<\/a> no longer makes meringue mushrooms. No matter. Summoning my inner Martha Stewart, I rummaged through the cupboards for the pastry bags I knew I\u2019d bought long ago, so I could concoct the confections myself.<\/p>\n Except that I had finally donated said pastry bags to the Salvation Army just weeks before (hoarders are correct in thinking that you will come to regret throwing away something you haven\u2019t used in years). I also discovered that, reckless purging of unused household items notwithstanding, I was too late with my culinary dreams for meteorological reasons as well. After four years of drought, the weather forecast promised a week of rain. Too bad every meringue mushroom recipe began, \u201cThese should only be made on a dry day.\u201d<\/p>\n But couldn’t I just\u00a0put real mushrooms on the log? Or just extra \u201cholly\u201d fashioned from mint leaves and cranberries?\u201d So I proceeded undaunted to the Buche<\/em> proper. That\u2019s when I discovered I would need a candy thermometer. Would a grocery store model suffice, or would I have to fight the crowds at the mall? Reading my ancient clipping and all the online recipes more carefully, I noted the several warnings about not tearing the sponge cake when getting it out of the pan, or rolling it up, or carefully spreading it with buttercream. \u201cA lot of trouble,\u201d wrote more than a few reviewers.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, visions of brownies with orange buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache, Russian teacakes, chocolate crumb bars, and almond filled shortbread danced in my head.<\/p>\n Who was I kidding? Ours was not a sponge cake family anyway, but one with a preference for mainlining dark chocolate and butter.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not having a Buche de Noel<\/em>. Not now, not ever,\u201d I announced. \u201cI\u2019m over it.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what we had instead:<\/p>\n Liberated from a dream I now know will never be fulfilled, I\u2019m looking ahead to the new year wondering what other fantasies I might jettison\u2014and what other delicious possibilities will take their place.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Have you ever made a <\/em>Buche de Noel? What dreams have you relinquished for the better?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Every year I have the intention of making a Buche de Noel for our Christmas Eve feast. And every year I revise my plans as the reality of unwrapped presents, unpolished silver, and undecked halls lays claim to my diminishing … Continue reading ![\"Christmas](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shrinkrapped.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Christmas-cookies.jpg?w=288&h=288&crop=1&ssl=1\" "\\"Christmas")
<\/a> <\/div> <\/div> ![\"Almond](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shrinkrapped.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Almond-filled-cookie-cake.jpg?w=288&h=288&crop=1&ssl=1\" "\\"Almond")
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