Montreal’s Best Bûches de Noël

A common holiday tradition in Quebec is to finish a meal with a delicious bûche de noël (yule log). A rolled cake covered in chocolate and butter cream that resembles and representative of a decorative sacrificial piece of firewood once used to welcome the winter solstice. Folklore aside, the bûche de noël now makes for a great dessert or great hostess gift. Whether you’re going to bring one to your next holiday dinner or need to find a discrete way of telling a family member their dessert making skills suck, here are some places that will help with your holiday bûche de Noël desserts.

Les Glaceurs (multiple locations) are known for their cupcakes, but when the winter season rolls in, it is not unusual for them to break out some of the festive holiday treats. Providing their own spin on the timeless yule log, their offerings include this decadent red velvet with tangy cream cheese icing topped with holiday truffles and garnished with gold sprinkles.

Les Gourmandises de Marie-Antoinette (4317 Ontario Street East) is named after and honours the wife of Louis XVI and queen of France and her affinity for cuisine, fine dining and most importantly her affection for chocolate and viennoiseries. This tea salon and patisserie located in the village offers a wide range of bûche de noël during the holidays. From traditional ones like the almond praline wrapped in a dacquoise almond cake topped with chiffon cream, to the “Bûche Marie-Antoinette” which happens to a gluten free variety of soft dark-chocolate biscuit, topped with a raspberry mousse, and garnished with raspberry macaroons and dark chocolate, your holiday dinner will definitely end on a sweet note.

For another non-traditional bûche de noël be sure to visit Le Glacier Bilboquet in the heart of Outremont (1311 Bernard Street West). An Italian sponge cake wrapped around a chocolate ganache, chocolate, praline or even raspberry center, the bûche is covered with a choice of ice cream or sorbet then topped with a torched meringue. With some on hand and readily available in the freezers, don’t hesitate to call ahead to place an order.

You will not want to miss the bûche de noël from Maison Christian Faure. Christian Faure has the distinct designation of M.O.F. which stands for “Meilleur Ouvrier de France Glacier.” This master pastry chef recently launched his holiday menu whose theme is the magical world of stories and legends of the Quebec red fox. The buches come in a variety of flavors such as, iced nougat, raspberry, milk chocolate and caramel – all works of art in both flavor and presentation.

Photo credits: Christian Faure, Les Glaceurs, Les gourmandises de Marie-Antoinette, Bilboquet, Christian Faure.

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