A Burning Bush...er, "Buche" (de Noel!)

For all you non-frenchies out there, a "buche de noel" is litterally a Yule Log. It's this SUPER yummerific (totally copyrighted that word right now) French pastry cake thing that is absolutely AMAZING!!! It's supposed to be a big fluffy sheet cake filled with icing and rolled into a log shape, covered in icing, and decorated in a Christmas-y/log-looking way, but I make mine a little differently. I use sugar cookies and whipped cream. And you let it sit (in a fridge, DUH!) for a few days until the cookies get all soft and then you add another layer of whipped cream and put cinnamon and nutmeg on the top of it, maybe with Christmas themed sprinkles or red and green colored sugar if you want something more festive. It's so delicious, and mine's soaking up whipped cream right now!!! Oh, and it CAN be made with chocolate, but unfortunately I have a friend who's allergic to chocolate, so mine is always non-chocolate. But you could substitute sugar cookies for chocolate with chocolate chip cookies, or fudge frosting instead of whipped cream, or even just sprinkle cocoa powder mixed with sugar (actually, hot chocolate mix works best--hold the marshmallows!) on top in place of cinnamon and/or nutmeg. If you like that much chocolate anyway.

But, not meaning to seem like I'm bragging (but that's what this is... dang it, I'm so freaking selfish!) I have tested that the non-chocolate version is best. In a way that was quite curious to me. You see, in 7th Grade French class, we had a few volunteers make Buche de Noels so we could experience them on our own. I was one of them. My friend who was allergic to chocolate was in that class, so I was the only person willing to make a non-chocolate Buche. Anyway, long story short is that when all was said and done, people told me mine was best. I didn't believe them, but there you go. My offering that a non-traditional version of food can be okay too! After all, where would we be if no one had made waffles, or orange-cranberry muffins, or pineapple salsa? Nowhere, my friends. Nowhere.