Bûche de Noël
La Chatelaine French Bakery•Columbus Area ***
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ver since the family-owned La Chatelaine opened in 1991, the French bakery has celebrated the holidays by serving up bûche de Noël (or “yule log”), a confection of genoise, or white sponge cake, rolled like a log with a layer of buttercream, then covered in more buttercream and decorated with colorful candies and plastic trinkets. “The traditional bûche de Noël is a white sponge cake with vanilla buttercream inside,” says Charlotte Harden, CEO of La Chatelaine and daughter of founders Stan and Gigi Wielezynski. “On the outside we typically offer vanilla, chocolate, Grand Marnier, mocha. We ask my brother to make the cranberry because it’s hot pink.” The tradition, Harden says, comes from northern Europe, in celebration of a visit from Saint Nicholas. “You put your shoes in front of the chimney,” says Harden, “and at Christmas your shoes are filled with toys and candy. The folklore of the bûche de Noël was that they chopped down a tree, soaked it in alcohol so it burned overnight so Saint Nicholas could find your shoes.” La Chatelaine keeps its version booze-free. The bakery serves
the cake logs in three sizes: individual, medium (serving eight to 10) and large (feeding 12 to 15). They’re sold the first of December through Christmas Eve. Harden estimates the bakery sold 400 just on Christmas Eve last year. It takes a 24-hour marathon involving the whole family and even past employees rolling the sponge cakes together. “We pull my parents out of retirement to roll,” Harden says. “They’re not allowed to go on vacation. We call it ‘the rolling of the bûches.’ ” — ND Locations in Dublin, Worthington and Upper Arlington, lachatelainebakery.com order at least 48 hours in advance. 2700 Lorain Ave., Cleveland 44113, 216/2816200, farkaspastries.com — LS
Holtman’s Donuts • Cincinnati
Esterházy Torte
Farkas Pastry Shoppe• Cleveland Farkas Pastry Shoppe’s elegant desserts have been a centerpiece of holiday tables since 1965. Few are as impressive as the bakery’s famous Esterházy torte, named for a 19th-century Hungarian prince. Regal indeed — it is five layers of
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almond dacquoise (a baked meringue), ground almonds, buttercream, apricot filling and a fondant glaze with chocolate ganache. Each torte takes a few days to make, and Farkas Pastry Shoppe owner Mike Harrison says customers drive from all over to get one. The torte is also gluten free, a rarity for a decadent dessert. During the holidays, there are usually a few in the case, but be sure to
Difficult to pronounce but easy to eat, sufganiyot (pronounced soof-gah-neeyote) make an annual appearance at Holtman’s Donuts coinciding with the eight days of Hanukkah. These fried jelly- or custard-filled donuts are sublime in their simplicity. Sufganiyot don’t come with over-the-top icing or covered in sprinkles, just a generous dusting of confectioner’s sugar and a dollop of extra filling that previews what’s inside. Regardless of which seasonal holiday you celebrate, a couple of freshly made sufganiyot will have you believing in miracles. Be sure to visit early in the day for the best selection. Five locations throughout Greater Cincinnati, holtmansdonutshop.com — LS
NOËL: ERIC WAGNER; TORTE: KARIN MCKENNA; STOLLEN: GINA WEATHERSBY
Sufganiyot
