Every year I make at least a couple of buche de Noël. I love to decorate them with sugar figures which I used to get from meilleurduchef.com. They no longer ship foods to the US nor do they even offer the same figures at all.
These are not flat sugar figures/plaques or sprinkles but standing 3-D figures of Santas, snowmen, mushrooms, etc. I'm at a loss.
Any idea where to find such things? I'd kiss your collective feet to find them.
- Arlene
PS: I've found some lovely gum paste poinsettias at Bakers Nook, but they are not what i was looking for. I want something more fun and whimsical.
Buche de Noël are a treasured French holiday tradition, cake rolls that are decorated to look like a Yule log. The cakes themselves are simple and unpretentious - but they're decorated within an inch of their lives! They are a fun opportunity to use sugar figurines, marzipan shapes and meringue mushrooms to create a woodland fantasy.
We looked all over for the sugar figurines that Arlene would like to find, and while we didn't find the exact thing she describes, we found a few other options and ideas. Do you have a more direct answer to her question?
• Wendy Kromer's confections and sugar art have decorated Martha Stewart cakes for years, and now she has an online shop where you can purchase her beautiful and unique sugar adornments. These are rather expensive, however.
This Magical Marzipan Cake Kit includes mushrooms, ferns, acorns and ladybugs and costs $325. You may be able to buy some pieces individually, however.
The Sweet Song Birds above are $25, and the Fall Leaves are $22 for a box of 16. Check her site again as Christmas gets closer, too; they may offer more seasonal products.
• Marzipan or almond paste figures can sometimes be easier to find than sugar figurines. These Marzipan Santas are $11.80 for a box of five at Marzipan World, and there's a wide selection of other figures in the Christmas section.
• House of Sugar is based in the UK and also has some Christmas sugar figurines available for sale.
• You can also try to make your own meringue mushrooms with this recipe from Martha Stewart.
• One final idea: If you would like something really custom, try your local pastry arts or baking school. They may have a sugar art class who would be willing to make you a few sugar figurines as part of their school assignments.
Related Links
• Technique: Caramelizing Sugar
• Sugar Art of the Past
• Word of Mouth: Pastillage (and How To)
• Recipe: DIY Fruity Gumdrops
(Image credit: La Renaissance Bakery)
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Mmm...those meringue mushrooms are sooo good, and pretty easy to make!
view Rosie's profile
Wow. Thanks for the help. I love the marzipan Santas. Being Norwegian, we have a tradition of making marzipan every Christmas but I'm no artist. These are nicer than anything I could make. The birds look very tempting. I just might splurge on those to make a very special presentation.
PS: XXXXXXXXX
view nene's profile
Our family makes the meringue mushrooms w/ dark chocolate "glue" and we always have extras/ broken ones around. YUM!
view Pipsqueak's profile
I'm embarrassed to say I've never even tried marzipan, but now I very badly want to. The only problem I see with all these decorations is, if I pay so much for them, how could I possibly eat them?
view Jim of ChewOnThat's profile
I'm not sure, if you're New York, but if you are....and if you're going the marzipan route, I would suggest Fortunato Brothers in Williamsburg. They have marzipan year round, but really go all out during Christmas....
http://brooklyn.citysearch.com/profile/7348572
view AmyE's profile
If there's a culinary school in your area, check and see if they offer classes to the community in creating these. Then you'll never have to worry about where to get them :)
Of course, then you'll have to add all that work to your schedule...
view alina's profile
Sur La Table also offers sugar decoration and marzipan molding classes - check your local store.
view faith's profile