Christmas Countdown #10: The Yule Log (With a Super-easy Recipe)

Originally, the Yule Log was a huge log that was brought into the house on Christmas Eve, sprinkled with salt and wine, and burned, saving a bit of the log to start the Yule log fire the next year. This tradition was found in most European countries, dating back to the 13th century, at least, and appears to have begun with a Germanic pagan Solstice celebration.

These days, the Yule Log is most often found as a chocolate log-shaped confection. Here is a recipe for individual Yule logs, great to do with a group of children or in a classroom.

Individual Yule Logs (Buche de Noel)

 Cans of chocolate frosting
 plastic knives for spreading
candy leaves and red hots for holly (optional)
 powdered sugar (optional)
Hostess Twinkies (one whole and one half for each log)

Directions:

Cover the  wholeTwinkies entirely with chocolate frosting. Drag the plastic knife to across the frosting  to make it look like  bark . Stick the half Twinkie  to the top or side of the whole Twinkie  and cover it with chocolate, to  look like a branch on the log. Sprinkle a small amount of powdered sugar on the log cake and  on the plate around the log so that it looks like snow. Make holly from 3 small red hots and two candy leaves to represent holly to decorate the log, if you like.

That's it! Eat and enjoy!