New year´s yule log

This yule log is really my pride, I had never make one before, thought it was gonna be difficult, but it turned out to be one of the most simple things I´ve made. The sponge cake is heavenly, it melts away in your mouth, the filling is incredible and the chocolate topping is amazing!

I got the recipe from an incredible website called www.joyofbaking.com, I really recommend this recipe...it's mouthwatering!

The mushrooms and mistletoe are made out of homemade marshmallow fondant (http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm) and food coloring.

Here's the link of the sponge cake and the filling: http://www.joyofbaking.com/YuleLog.html

And here's the recipe of the chocolate frosting: http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateCake.html

This is how it looks on the inside =) Yum!!

Fortune Cookies

The idea of making fortune cookies just came out of the blue...and as soon as I got that idea I started to look for the messages that was gonna put inside them...quite a challenge I must say...cause me and my sister had to look for over 80 messages!!....well, we were very picky, but it was definitely worth it, every minute we spent searching and writing and also baking, cause they were a hit at new year's eve...after 12 o`clock we all opened our cookies and saw our future comming ahaha.

We cut pink, green and blue papers....the pink papers were only about love, the green ones about money and the blue ones about health and some other stuff....they turned the perfect tradition for the new year, so I'll be making them year after year, but of course I'll be updating them...for next year I plan to dip them in chocolate.....only the tips....but for now I'll introduce to you my fortune cookies recipe, hope you make this a new tradition too!

These are the ingredients: (makes about 80 fortune cookies)

- 3 cups flour

- 1 cup butter, cold

- 1 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 tsp lemon zest

- 1/2 cup warm milk

- Fortune messages (if you want my opinion you should look for the messages one day ahead, because they can take a while)

- Preheat your oven at 392º (200ºC), and butter your pan, set aside.

- In a medium bowl mix butter and sugar until creamy, then add the egg and the sifted flour, finally add milk until you get a dough that doesn't stick to your fingers.

- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until firm,

- Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick, and cut circles with a glass or a cookie cutter.

- Put the message in the center of the cookie (you can fold it as I did, or place a longer message, as I did later and think its better).

- Then fold the cookie into half and press the edges so it won't open in the oven.

- Press the middle of the cookie to fold it in half again.

- Finally fold the cookie until the corners meet.

-Place the cookies in the buttered pan, at a small distance between one another, since they barely increase their volume, and bake them for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until they are slightly golden.

And done! Happy baking =)

Christmas Cake / Pan de Pascua

Hi! today I'll be sharing with you this great recipe. Well...this one was made by my mom...eating Christmas cake or Pan de Pascua as it is called in Spanish is the most typical christmas tradition in Chile, among with the Cola de Mono (it means mokey tail ahaha) which is a kind of an eggnog but with alcohol in it...I like it without the alcohol...well, the thing is that everyone seems to just love this two things...including me, but how could I not love this beautiful cake....the taste is incredible, and me and my family eat A LOT for Christmas, I really mean it...my mom makes about 15 of these cakes each Christmas, cause she gives away like the half =( so I really recomend it for christmas or well...for whenever you want.

Holi! hoy compartiré con ustedes esta excelente receta. Bueno....esta la hizo mi mamá....comer pan de pascua es una de las mas típicas tradiciones navideñas en Chile, junto con la cola de mono, que es como el rompope pero con alcohol... a mi me gusta sin alcohol....bueno, el asunto es que a todo el mundo parece encantarle estas dos cosas... incluyéndome a mi, pero como no adorar este hermoso pan de pascua...el sabor es increíble, mi familia y yo comemos MUCHO en navidad, hablo en serio....mi mamá hace como 15 de estos panes de pascua durante cada navidad, porque regala como la mitad =( así que realmente lo recomiendo para navidad o bueno.....para cuando quieran.

Ingredients: (makes 2 7 inch cakes)

- 250 grs butter

- 4 cups flour

- 2 cups sugar

- 200 grs walnuts

- 200 grs almonds

- 200 grs chocolate, chopped

- 200 grs crystallized fruit, grounded

- 2 tbsp lemon or orange zest

- 1 tsp cinnamon powder

- 1 tsp clove (powder)

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 4 eggs

- 330 cc. black beer

- 1 tsp baking powder

Glazing:

- orange juice

- icing sugar

- Preheat oven to 375º (180ºC), butter and flour your pans, set aside.

- Beat butter and sugar until creamy, then add eggs one by one and then incorporate the walnuts, chocolate, zest, clove and malt, beat in to incorporate everything and finally add the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

- Fill the pans up to 3/4 of it, and put them into the oven for about an hour or until a knife or a cake tester comes out clean.

- For the glazing just mix orange juice and icing sugar and pour it on top of the Christmas cake =)

Ingredientes: (para 2 panes de 17 cm de diámetro)

- 250 grs de mantequilla

- 4 tazas de harina

- 2 tazas de azúcar

- 200 grs de nueces

- 200 grs de almendras

- 200 grs de chocolate, picado

- 200 grs fruta confitada, molida

- 2 cdas de ralladura de limón o naranja

- 1 cdta de canela en polvo

- 1 cdta de clavo de olor (en polvo)

- 1 cdta de bicarbonato

- 4 huevos

- 330 cc. cerveza negra o malta

- 1 cdta de polvos de hornear

Glaseado:

- jugo de naranja

- azúcar flor

- Pre-calentar el horno a 180°C, enmantequillar y enharinar los moldes, reservar.

- Batir la mantequilla y azúcar hasta que esté cremoso, luego agregar los huevos de a uno e incorporar las nueces, chocolate, ralladura, nuez moscada y cerveza negra, batir hasta que todo esté incorporado, finalmente agregar la harina, bicarbonato y polvos de hornear.

- Llenar los moldes hasta 3/4, hornearlos durante una hora o hasta que al insertar un palito de brocheta, éste salga limpio.

- Para el glaseado simplemente mezclar jugo de naranja con azúcar flor y verterlo sobre el pan de pascua =)