I used to think that too many lights would make them the focus of the tree, not the ornaments. The Christmas Tree of my youth was decorated with the traditional glass balls and bells, garland, and had, at most, 200 multi-colored flashing lights. For me the lights were the best part of the tree, the ornaments and garland being mostly fillers. Then I met my wife.

The first time we went shopping for a Christmas tree, we knew it would be artificial but still needed to decide on whether or not it would be pre-lit or not, and what color the lights would be. We ended up selecting an unlit tree and purchasing about 1000 white lights. I thought this would be plenty, but not for what my wife had in mind.

As I started to string the lights on out tree for the first time, I went about it as I always had at my parent’s house. First I assembled the tree, then began to string the lights around the outside, working from the top down. About an hour later I called my wife so we could start decorating, but was informed that there weren’t nearly enough lights as she had hoped. She wanted to have lights on all of the branch tips, from the ‘trunk’ out to the edges. Being newlyweds, I didn’t put up much of a fuss, and removed all the lights to start again, this time with a much clearer picture of what she wanted.

I never knew that there were so many of the smaller branches and tips on each section of an artificial tree. I very rapidly used the 1000 lights we had. Unfortunately it was too late to continue that night, so in the morning I purchased another 750 (15 strings of 50 ea) to finish. By lunchtime two things were obvious, I wasn’t going to finish and I was also going to need more lights. This time I sent my wife out to get more strands. Two trips later, she’d cleaned out the store of white lights, and another day ended with the tree still not fully lit. On day #3, we both went out to get what we hoped would be the last 500 lights. Just after lunch, the tree was fully lit, with about 3000 lights.

It’s always sad when you take the ornaments and lights off and box everything up again, and I needed a 70 qt plastic bin to hold all of the tree lights. Knowing that it took 3 days to string up all the lights I needed to figure out a faster way to do it the following year. 10 months later I had the answer.

Although it still took me 2 days to put all the lights on the tree, it would never take me that long again because I pre-strung every branch. Since the lights were in strings of 50 and 100, I used the 100’s to pre-wrap the larger lower branches, and the 50’s on the middle and top branches.  Since each branch had its own string of lights, once unplugged it could be removed from the tree without being tangled with any of the other branches (in a few of the smallest upper branches I did end up using 1 set of lights for 2 branches). I also took the opportunity to find out exactly how many lights were on the tree by counting the number and length of each strand I put on. Grand total: 2,850 lights!

Another problem I had to contend with was how to plug of the lights in. Most important here is to have not only extension cords be also a power strip with a fuse (I actually need 2). To minimize the tangle of cords and plugs, I used electrical tape to secure all of the extra wire to the base of the branch close to where it connects to the center pole. To get every strand of lights plugged in, I found it’s best to keep the cord on one of lights longer so it can be snaked down the center of the tree to the power strip. All of the other lights on that row of branches are plugged into each other, minimizing the number of plugs that need to be hidden at the base of the tree.

Even with the branches pre-strung, it is essential to first check to make sure that all lights on every branch are working. A few years ago, one of the branches started flickering which led to an entire section of the tree going dark. It is much easier to find and replace burned out bulbs when it is undecorated and not yet wired into the rest of the trees lights.

The past few years it has taken me about 3 hrs to test all the lights and have the tree fully assembled, ready to decorate. Also, since the lights are white, they provide a background illumination that enhances the decorations and makes the tree glow, especially at night. Now when I walk through stores selling pre-lit trees with anywhere from 650 to 1800 lights, I wonder how many other couples think that ‘these trees need more lights – we might as well just string our own’. But first ask yourself, how much is enough? For us 2,850 was just right.

In the short time we’d been together, we talked about everything, and since at the time we were both living in our own apartments, we both cooked. I always loved to cook, bought cookbbooks, and read cooking magazines, to find new and different recipes to try. So when Christmas rolled around, Cathy already knew that I was pretty competent in the kitchen, so she asked if I would make a dessert (I’d already heard about the dozens of cookies she would be baking with her mom). Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to impress her, and her family, I agreed. I also immediatley knew what I would make, a Buche de Noel (Yule Log).

Now I’ll be the first to admit that baking is not my forte. But, when you’re in love, you want to do something special and out of the ordinary, and this was it. I found the recipe in a recent magazine, read it through a few times, prepared my shopping list and there was no turning back. The 2 days it took to complete were both stressful and fun. Stressful everytime something was mixing or cooking or setting, hoping I’d not forgotten to add anything (I tend to be a little obsessive when I cook). But then fun, once the ‘log’ was completed and the final decorating/presentation began. Mostly there was relief when it was all finished and I realized that it looked almost just like the picture. The only thing I didn’t know was how it tasted, but that would have to wait until Christmas.

Finally, we arrived at Cathy’s sister’s house. I had not taken more than two steps in when I heard “that looks fantastc!”. Everyone was followed me into the kitchen to see what I’d brought, and when Cathy informed them that I had made it – they were all very impressed. I have never posed for so many pictures with a dessert before (or after). Not only did it look good, but it tasted great.

Now that Cathy and I are married and have kids, everyone comes to our house for Christmas, so I no longer have two days to devote to a dessert. But they still ask “what no Yule Log this year?”. Now that the twins are 7 and able to help in the kitchen, who knows, maybe this year.

If you”re interested in preparing a classic Christmas dessert, want to impress someone, or just like tasty desserts, this ones for you…

Chocolate-Orange Buche de Noel

For filling
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For ganache
1/2 cup whipping cream
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

Powdered sugar
10 to 12 purchased chocolate truffles

Bake until cake springs back when pressed in center, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to rack. Cool completely. Sift remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa powder over cake. Line baking sheet with foil. Invert cake onto sheet. Peel off paper.

Prepare filling:
Place 2 tablespoons boiling water in small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let soften 10 minutes. Heat 1/4 cup cream in small saucepan over medium-low heat just until warm. Add to gelatin mixture; stir until gelatin dissolves. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1 1/4 cups chilled cream, powdered sugar, orange peel and vanilla in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add gelatin mixture. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Spread filling over cake, leaving 1-inch border on sides. Using foil as aid and starting at 1 long side of cake, gently roll up cake, enclosing filling. Arrange roll, seam side down, on platter. Cover tightly and refrigerate until filling is set, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Next Day:

Unwrap roll and with a serrated knife cut ~2inches off one end, at a 45 degree angle. Place the angle side of the cut piece against the side of the log. Once coated, this will give the appearance of a branch protruding from the side of the log.

Make ganache:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, corn syrup and liqueur. Stir until mixture is smooth. Let ganache stand until cool and thick.

Whisk ganache just until soft peaks form (do not overmix). Spread ganache over roll. Using tines of fork, draw lines through ganache to represent tree bark. (Roll can be made 1 day ahead. Tent with foil and refrigerate.)

Sift powdered sugar over roll.

If desired, decorate with white truffles lightly dusted with cocoa (to simulate mushrooms).

* Bookmark on Delicious * *

My mother, being Italian, always cooked (and in this case baked) to serve a crowd, usually a very hungry crowd. So it was not uncommon for her to increase the size of the recipe by 8X, yes that’s right 8X. If the recipe produced 2dozen cookies, we made 16 dozen. Add to that the fact that sehe usually baked 4 or 5 different types of cookies, and you’d think we were starting our own business. Even though we had the family over for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (nothing was better than Mom’s Lasagna), we were still left with enough cookies to enjoy well into March.

Every cookie was made as perfectly as possible, from the shape of the Almond Crescents to the branches on the Butter Cookie Christmas Trees. Once baked and cooled, all the cookies were stored in round, aluminum foil lined, tins and stacked in the den. We worked and worked while the much loved Christmas specials played in the background. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of work over several evenings, and Mom wasn’t always in the best of moods, but it was something to look forward to.

So every year, when those chilly New York December days rolled around again, my mother would buy pounds and pounds of butter, then break out the hand-cranked cookie cutter and we’d get start rolling, shaping, and decorating our way into another Christmas season. And now, since my own children are old enough to start helping, I get to do it all over – with them!

* Bookmark on Delicious * *