Taking holiday classics to a new level

While most of us struggle to create a passable bûche de Noël or galettes des rois, pastry chefs around the world are taking these creations to new heights this holiday season. Food and Wine brings us seven interpretations of bûche de Noël that will amaze. Nina Métayer’s looks like an elaborate, oversized Christmas ornament. Lift up the top and you are presented with an entremet flavored with citrus, gingerbread, honey, passion fruit, and cinnamon. The base holds more delights; when you break it open there are tiny treats inside. Another creation is styled as a Christmas tree, one looks like a pine cone, and a third has baby fox cubs made of chocolate. So cute!

So good magazine looks at five galettes des rois from top pastry chefs. One has a gorgeous ruffled top while another is jet black throughout. The filling in that galette is vanilla and bamboo “charcoal”. Pierre Hermé reinterprets his classic Mogador flavor that combines passion fruit and milk chocolate. The top features a coil pattern.

Viewing these gorgeous creations might make you feel bad about your rough yule log, but remember that these chefs have dedicated themselves to pastry and have every tool imaginable at their disposal. Also, when you look at the price tag, it might make your homemade dessert seem like an incredible bargain. I like to just take joy in the beauty of these luxurious pastries.