Happily, the word “nowell” doesn’t have anything to do with the later misuse of it for Christianity so we can safely claim it as our own. The word “Nowell” is derived from the French word , Noël, which in turn, is drawn from the Latin word “natalis” or “birth”. It is also thought to bear a relation to the Gaulish word “noio” or neu” meaning “new” and “helle” meaning “light” All of these words refer to the time when the Sun begins to move and awake after the Winter solstice ( which is a standing still of the sun) and overtake the darkness, the time when the God of Light is reborn. It symbolizes the very essence of rebirth and hope.

Here is a recipe from our Irish Odinist Gourmet. I have to tell you it is scary to go into a kitchen with an Irish woman with a knife, so I did not participate in the baking, but I did taste this cake and I think it may be the best cake I have ever had in my life. See lower left for Bûche de Noël.

The recipe that follows makes an extremely low sugar, light as a feather,  flourless, gluten free, organic (if you wish) chocolate cream Yule log cake fit for the Einherjar.

Flourless Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

– I Tsp. vanilla extract (organic)

– 6 eggs (organic free range eggs preferably)

-3 Tbs. granulated sugar

– 4 Oz. semi-sweet chocolate bits (ghiradelli)

Chocolate Whip Cream Filling Ingredients:

-2 cups heavy whipping cream (organic preferably)

-3 Tbls organic raw cocoa- needs to be unprocessed, no akalali processing  (Navitas brand best). It is important to use raw unprocessed cocoa because it is not bitter and this means one need add very little sugar

Equipment:

 

– a spatula,  two bowls

– A small amount of butter and flour so as to make cooking  pan parchment non stick.

-Cookie sheet with sides approximately 12 x 17 inches

-Parchment paper (buttered and flowered). Don’t forget to butter and flour the sides.

– Hand mixer or automatic table mixer

Instructions:

 

– Preheat oven to 350 F.

– butter and flour parchment paper for bottom and sides and place in cookie sheet.

-Separate eggs into egg whites and yolks and place in two different bowls

– Add sugar and vanilla to egg yolks and beat at minimum speed for 5 whole minutes. It is very important not to skimp on beating time for necessary consistency

-Melt chocolate over a double boiler or a pyrex dish set in a pan of boiling water, which works as well or better. Stir while melting until smooth and don’t over melt. Let it cool slightly so as not to cook egg yolks, but not to the point that it hardens again. When cooled slightly, pour it into the egg yolk mixture and beat an additional minute.

– Set aside egg yolk chocolate batter and wash and carefully dry beaters.

-Beat the egg whites until the soft peak stage. This means that if you were to lift up your beaters or put a spoon in, it would form soft peaks.-With a spatula, gently fold the chocolate egg yolk batter into the egg white mixture. Be careful not to over mix because this will deflate the cake.

– Pour into previously prepared cookie pan then spread evenly towards the edges with spatula. Cook for 15 minutes

– Remove from  oven and cool

-Prepare whip cream mixture. Beat cream until almost stiff then add 3 Tbls of cocoa  and continue mixing until you have a stiff whip cream that will hold its shape.

-Reserving some whip cream to decorate the top, spread  chocolate whip cream mixture on top of cooled cake and roll it up like a jelly roll with a knife and place it seam side down on the serving plate. Be careful when doing this. It may crack a little, but this will not matter as long as it is not too extreme.

-Cut off an angled slice at one end and attach it to the side of the Buche to resemble a branch, perhaps decorating the top of it with a little of the reserved cream, and then use the rest of the reserved chocolate whip cream mixture on the top of the main part of the cake.

-At this point, the decoration is up to you. We used a holly sprig. One can sprinkle a little confectioner’s sugar to resemble snow or have a small deer, cottage, or a Yule tree on the top. There are many possibilities.

The Cook adds that if compliments do not come in fast enough, use a wooden spoon to beat people severely about the head!

Bon Appétit, Wassail…and Merry Yule!

The Odinist Gourmet

(Sharon Hodder- Fenner)

©2010 Odinia

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