The Christmas Yule Log is a traditional and symbolic cake for the festive season. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 12 servings. 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 3 eggs 3/4 c. sugar 1/3 c. water 1 tsp. vanilla 10x (confectioners') sugar Mocha Cream filling and frosting (recipe follows) Chocolate bark (recipe follows) Marzipan mushrooms (recipe follows)

Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 inch jelly roll pan; line bottom with waxed paper; grease paper. Sift flour, baking powder and salt onto waxed paper. Beat eggs until thick and creamy, in a medium size bowl with electric mixer. Add sugar gradually, beating constantly until mixture is very thick. Stir in water and vanilla. Fold in flour mixture. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) 12 minutes, or until center springs back when lightly pressed with fingertip. Loosen cake around edges with a knife; invert pan onto a clean towel dusted with 10x sugar; peel off waxed paper. Trim 1/4 inch from all 4 edges for easy rolling. Starting at short end, roll up cake and towel jelly roll fashion with seam underneath. Cool completely on wire rack.

Prepare Mocha cream filling and frosting, Chocolate Bark and Marzipan mushrooms while cake cools. Unroll cake carefully; spread with about 1/2 of Mocha cream filling; reroll, lifting end of towel to start rolling. Place seam side down, on a serving plate. Cut a 2 inch diagonal slice from one end. Press slice to side of roll with a little filling to resemble the stub of a tree branch. Frost stub and top and side of cake with remaining filling, but do not frost ends. Press Chocolate Bark lengthwise into frosting to resemble bark. Decorate plate and log with Marzipan Mushrooms and leaves. Chill until serving time, several hours or overnight. To serve, cut crosswise into thick slices.

1 c. sugar
1/3 c. water
3 egg yolks
1/2 c. butter
2 sq. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tbsp. instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tbsp. water

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil 5 minutes, or until mixture registers 240 degrees on candy thermometer. Beat egg yolks in medium size bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Pour hot syrup slowly, in a thin stream, into yolks, beating constantly. Continue beating until cooled, about 5 minutes. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition until butter is absorbed. Beat in chocolate and coffee mixture. If too soft, chill just until firm enough to hold its shape.

Melt 3 squares semisweet chocolate in a small bowl over hot water; pour out onto a small cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Pull a thin bladed knife at slight angle across chocolate to make curls or shavings to resemble bark. Place curls on waxed paper; keep refrigerated until ready to use. (If there are any chocolate leftovers, re-melt and use in cakes, if you wish).

1/2 (4 oz.) can almond paste
1/2 c. 10x (confectioners') sugar
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
Green food coloring
Cocoa

Break almond paste into smaller pieces; gradually knead in sugar and corn syrup. Tint 1/4 of marzipan a light green by kneading in a few drops green food coloring. Roll out on surface dusted lightly with 10x sugar; cut into leaf shapes with cookie cutter. Make 8 to 10 small balls of different sizes from remaining marzipan; flatten on side to shape "mushroom caps"; brush flat underside with cocoa. Make stems by rolling small balls of marzipan into cylindrical shapes. Attach stems to caps with drop of water or corn syrup.