Happy 2009 to everyone! Christmas 2008 zoomed by too quickly for me, but that’s okay, because I’m looking forward to the start of a new year, which hopefully will shape up to be as wonderful and memorable as a fine glass of wine.

I trust everyone had a great Christmas? At our family dinner, we had a fabulous organic ham with an apricot and orange glaze, turkey stuffed with wild rice and cranberries, as well as oysters, prawns, marinated vegetables, and dessert, which is my one responsibility every Christmas.

While this might sound like a pretty straightforward task to most people, I always accidentally make it difficult on myself by eschewing the safe option of making things I’m familiar with, for things that strike me at the spur of the moment. This year, we had sour cherries with white chocolate cream, followed by Christmas pudding ice-cream macarons and boozy brandy custard – both of which I think were better received than that one year I served poached peaches with a mint granita that tasted like toothpaste. Or the other time I tried to add a bit of theatrics to the end of the meal by releasing a shower of dried rose petals over everyone (it was meant to complement the dessert, honest). This was inspired by a story DP once told, of when he hosted a banquet and threw handfuls of walnuts across the length of the table, for his guests to pick, crack and eat as they pleased.

With some ingredients I still had around the next day, I thought it was time I finally made Christie of Fig & Cherry, a Cherry Ripe-inspired dessert. So here it is.

I call it, “To Christie, with love”, and it comprises a bitter chocolate sauce, coconut sorbet, sour cherry compote, with chestnut crumble and custard.

For those unfamiliar with the Cherry Ripe, it is an Australian chocolate bar consisting of a juicy cherry and coconut layer, enrobed in dark chocolate. It’s Christie’s favourite chocolate bar, and is second to the KitKat Chunky, as one of my favourites.

Now, before I hang up my macaron piping bag for at least a few months, there’s just one last flavour I feel I have to do. A Bacon ‘n’ Egg macaron. Stay tuned.

Could this be the richest and most luxurious Daring Bakers challenge yet? If not, can we agree that it certainly comes close? It’s the kind of chocolate dessert you might find listed with cliched words like “indulgence” or “oblivion” tacked to the end of it.

This month’s challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.

If you’re wondering, hang on, a yule log .. didn’t we make one this time last year? Well, I thought the same too, but was put right when I read the definition of a French yule log.

As it turns out, this yule log, or Buche de Noel, is somewhat akin to an ice-cream cake, or a frozen version of the typical buttercream-laden yule log we are more familiar with. Mine consists of flavours that pretty much adhere to the original recipe. The layers are almond dacquoise, dark chocolate mousse, vanilla creme brulee, hazelnut praline, dark chocolate ganache and icing. A great choice of dessert for this time of the year, I think, because of the warm weather here in Sydney.

Not that warm weather would deter me from baking. After a few forkfuls of this wonderful dessert, I think ‘Chocolate Ooh’ might even be a nice addition to that list of cliched words. Or maybe ‘Chocolate Blessing’, because I’m thankful for having managed to find a little time this month to make this challenge. I’m grateful because the alternative would mean never having had the opportunity to experience this pure Chocolate Sensation. This Chocolate Bliss. This Chocolate Epiphany of textures, from ultra smooth mousse to crunchy praline and toothsome ganache. This Chocolate Happiness.

If you have been sufficiently tempted enough to make it, you might want to search for the recipe on the hosts’ blogs (thanks, guys!), or from the blogs of other DB members.

I say this every year, but I swear, I swear next year is going to be different. Next year I want more balance between life and work. Next year, I don’t want to feel panicked about not having done any Christmas shopping or cooking, because I’m pretty much working right up to Christmas Eve. Next year, I want to find time to write Christmas cards, especially to those friends who always send us one but never get any in return. Next year, I’m going to buy gifts at least one month ahead.

Okay, maybe the last one is a bit of a stretch, but I think the rest of it is pretty achievable.

2008 has been a pretty manic year for me. Thankfully, there have been a few things (and people) to keep me going inbetween the hectic work schedule. In no particular order :

TV shows I’ve loved :

1 Entourage
2 MadMen
3 Damages
4 Match of the Day
5 Dead Set

Favourite albums this year :

1 Boxer by The National (2007)
2 In Rainbows by Radiohead
3 Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
4 Alas I Cannot Swim by Laura Marling
5 Oracular Spectacular by MGMT
6 19 by Adele

(with a special mention to two oldies but goodies, Appetite for Destruction by Guns ‘n’ Roses and Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins)

Favourite films :

1 There Will be Blood
2 No Country for Old Men
3 The Dark Knight
4 Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead
5 Gone Baby Gone
6 Lust Caution
7 Juno
8 Persepolis
9 Wall-E

This is also the year of :

-The thermometer. Between Katrina and myself, I think we have gone through at least seven in the past six months alone.

Next year, I also want to find the time to attend our apartment building’s annual Block Party, instead of making macarons for them but not actually turning up!