Marron Glacés (Candied Chestnuts)
A marron glacé is a sweet chestnut that has been candied in sugar syrup. First created in southern France (or northern Italy . . . it’s a much-contested origin story), the earliest recorded recipe dates from the 17th century by a confectioner in Louis XIV’s court. At the end of the 19th century, Lyon set up the first factory for wider-scale production of the treat. The region is also famous for crème de marrons de l’Ardèche, which salvages broken sweet chestnuts and repurposes them into a puréed spread (think a Nutella cousin).
french holiday dinner
Illustrated by Jessie Kanelos Weiner
Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)
A bûche de Noël, or Yule log, is a traditional Christmas dessert in France dating from the 19th century. It is customarily made from a genoise (sponge cake), which is iced, rolled, and iced again with buttercream flavored with chocolate, ganache, coffee, or liqueur. For an effective presentation, nature itself is the muse: An end piece is cut and set atop the cake to resemble a chopped bough; raking a fork down the iced exterior produces a bark-like texture. Other decorative flourishes may include powdered sugar, sprinkled to evoke snowfall, and meringues, standing in for mushroom growth. Yay naturalism!