by Catherine Doherty

Perhaps you might be interested in a few of the foreign recipes for Christmas cakes or other foods that bring us closer to our neighbors – wherever they may be.

Turta – Walnut layered strudel
From Romania

12 cups flour
6 egg yolks
4 tablespoon vegetable oil
About 2 ½ cups lukewarm water
About 2 cups flour for rolling dough
3 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup (1/2 lb) butter, melted
½ cup honey

Put flour in large mixing bowl; make a well in center; put in it egg yolks and oil. With a fork beat eggs and oil, gradually working in the flour, adding lukewarm water gradually to make a soft dough. Knead dough until it is very light; then place it on lightly floured board, cover with a bowl and let stand in warm place for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix walnuts and sugar.

Cover large table with a clean cloth; sprinkle entire surface with flour. Cut dough into six pieces; knead into balls; keep covered with bowl.

Roll dough pieces, one at a time, to the size of a man’s handkerchief, lifting and turning frequently to make sure dough does not stick; brush top lightly with a little oil. Flour hands, both palms and backs; carefully stretch the dough from the underside, starting at the center of dough, until it is tissue thin, being careful not to make holes.

Trim edges of dough; cut into 9” squares; place these, one on top of the other, on greased jelly roll pan; brush each layer (including top) with melted butter and sprinkle with nut-sugar mixture.

Bake in moderate (350 degree F) oven, 15 minutes; pour honey over top, bake 45 to 50 minutes more. If top browns too fast, cover with brown paper or aluminum foil. Cut into squares to serve.

The beautiful and symbolic part of this recipe is that the thin coats of rolled dough represent the swaddling clothes of the Christ Child.

Buche de Noel – Christmas Log
From France

5 egg yolks
¼ cup cake flour
2 tablespoon cocoa
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup confectioners sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon almond extract
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Coffee cream filling
Chocolate cream frosting
Candied green pineapple rings or angelica for decoration

Line a greased jelly roll pan with waxed paper

Beat egg yolks until think and pale.

Stift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon; add to egg yolks; beat well.

Stir in almond extract and gently fold in beaten egg whites until batter is well blended.

Spread batter evenly in prepared jelly roll pan and bake in moderate (350 degree F) oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until pointed knife when inserted comes out clean.

Quickly turn the cake out on damp towel sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar. Trim edges, roll cake in towel in jelly roll fashion, cool; reserve cut edges.

When cake has cooked and is ready to fill, unroll and spread evenly with Coffee Cream Filling, and roll again. Slice off end of cake diagonally.

Roll out reserved cut cake edges into shape of knots; fasten and secure with tooth picks on surface of roll to simulate rings where branches were cut off.

Spread Chocolate Cream Frosting over roll with spatula. Run tines of fork through frosting to make a rough surface in imitation of bark. Decorate with candied green pineapple, cut into leaves.

Coffee Cream Filling:
½ cup butter
¾ cup sifted confectioners sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon dry instant coffee
1 tablespoon hot water

Cream butter until soft; add sugar gradually and cream until smooth. Beat in egg yolks, coffee and water; beat until easy to spread.

Chocolate Cream Frosting:
¾ cup butter
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 egg yolks
2 – 2oz. squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 tablespoons cocoa

Cream butter until soft; add sugar gradually, and cream until smooth. Beat in egg yolks, melted chocolate and cocoa; beat until easy to spread.

This Christmas Log is not only festive for your Yuletide board, but Delicious! Your family will love it!