This week on my Best and the Foodiest segment on The Lynda Steele Show at CKNW 980 am, we tasted a yummy yule log to celebrate the festive season, the Bûche Coco Amande Chocolat is one of this year’s creations from Chef Peter Fong at Ganache Patisserie in Yaletown.

This yule log is comprised of  a rich dark chocolate almond mousse studded with caramelized almond pieces surrounding a middle of a light coconut cream, pleasantly tart  pineapple curd and toasted coconut sablé with a coconut brownie base.  The bûche is covered in a coconut chocolate glaze with gold stripes, white chocolate bark, caramelized almonds, white and dark chocolate crispearls, coconut shavings and dark chocolate curls and bookends.

Bûche au Marron Cafe is the other option in this years line-up which takes a coffee chiffon cake rolled with a Zephyr Caramel coffee ganache, a chestnut mousseline filling, chestnut pieces and is finished with vanilla buttercream.  To complete their looks, both yulelogs are decorated with meringue mushrooms, fondant snowflakes, and  chocolate decor in contrasting colours.    (6″- $39.95 feeds 6-8 ppl / 12″- $69.95 feeds 12-15 ppl); You can order them by calling the bakery at 604.899.1098.

I visited Temper Pastry in West Vancouver recently to taste some of their festive desserts, Chef Steven Hodge offered up some of his popular Stollen to taste. The Stollen is new to their line-up this season, it is a Classic German-style Stolen, a fruit bread flavoured with nuts, spices and dried fruit and dusted in powdered sugar. They are also offering a trio of yule logs available, each priced at $38: salted caramel, chestnut, and Black Forest, with classic chocolate and cherry flavours.

I tried several of their other holiday treats including the Buttery Vanilla Shortbread, Raspberry Linzer Cookies, Festive eggnog cream filled Donuts, Candied pecans, sugared and spiced for easy snacking; along with a selection of chocolates including the Eggnog Truffle, flavoured with sweet cream and a touch of nutmeg, some vegan chocolates, along with dark hot chocolate, candied nuts, and a dark candy cane bar.

Temper Chocolate and Pastry will be counting down the days until the holidays begin with their own take on the classic advent calendar. For each day in December, the shop will offer a surprise treat for in-store guests. From pastry specials to free coffee, there’s a little something for everyone to enjoy. You can order their festive treats at (604) 281-1152

At the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Vancouver, Pastry Chef Suraj Karmakar has created some spectacular desserts including the Cloud Cake which was a puffy white cloud outside with layers of sponge cake and raspberry jam filling; the green Pear and red Festive pear, shortbread cookies that look like envelopes, macarons, chocolates, and more.

As their Christmas Stollen is a popular treat each year, Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver chef Gerhard Weitzel came out of retirement to bake and share his decades-old secret stollen recipe. This famous German cake, rich with holiday spices and flavours, is available for purchase at YEW seafood + bar for CAD $28 per loaf and is available now until Christmas Day by phoning (604) 692-4939.

Their are many other bakeries around the city offering up all sorts of festive treats as well.

By: Richard Wolak