Christmas Yule Log

 I was on a small baking frenzy this last week, I think it is just about over!  Anyway I had to make a dessert for our church Christmas party.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, and then I just got an inspiration to make a Yule Log.  One of my sons is always asking for that "rolled up kind of cake", which is a lot of work, that I don't usually have the time or energy for, but I was in the mood this day.  We had seen a beautiful Yule log cake in a bakery a week or two ago, and I noticed the cute little mushrooms on it, which I didn't realize was a traditional part of the Yule Log decorating... Anyway after I got my inspiration to try one of these, I started googling recipies and came

 across several interesting ones.  Martha of course had the mushroom recipe.  I didn't really search anywhere else as her recipe was pretty clear and concise, and not a tremendous amount of work!  I didn't like her cake recipe so I used a different one from Easy French Foods.  The Yule log is a traditional french Christmas dessert and can be decorated many ways, including santas, or dancing elves atop the log.  I didn't have any dancing elves on hand, so I opted for the mushrooms.  I thought they came out pretty realistic looking.  Merry Christmas!

Here are the mushrooms before going into the oven.  Once they are dry you simply spread melted chocolate on the bottom of the cap, and add a stem.  I cooled them upside down in an egg carton till I needed them.