‘Tis the season for sweet temptations

Fendu Stollen Bread ($25)

Those looking for holiday treats will find their sweet spot at Fendu Boulangerie. According to chef and owner Niel Koep, Fendu has a great round-up of seasonal delights customers can enjoy.

For starters, Buche De Noel is extremely popular, as it’s a twist on the classic Christmas Yule Log cake.

“The classic log cake is a jelly roll sponge cake, but ours is the modern version,” Koep explains. “We use a plastic mold and have multiple layers of flavors inside. Starting from the inside, there’s an eggnog creme brulee, a layer of raspberry mousse; then underneath that is a layer of flourless chocolate cake and a layer of macadamia-nut chocolate-chunk sponge cake.

Buche De Noel Large ($44 for 10-inch; $28 for 5-inch, pictured; $5.99 individual)

Surrounding that is a dark-chocolate mousse made from Valrhona chocolate.”

According to Koep, Fendu’s Buche De Noel comes in individual ($5.99), 5-inch ($28) and 10-inch ($44) sizes.

“The five-inch one serves five to six people, and the 10-inch one serves about 12 people, depending on how big or small the slices are,” Koep says.

Fendu’s Stollen Bread ($25) is another popular Christmas treat, but Koep emphasizes how the bakery’s rendition is unique. “Our version is not a traditional German Stollen in texture,” he says. “I took a traditional German Stollen formula, but mixed it the French way. The French way of mixing it is different — it comes out a lot lighter in texture. Ours is a cross between Stollen and a sweet bread; it’s really popular. In fact, last year, we sold 1,140 of them.”

Individual Buche De Noel ($5.99)

Fendu’s holiday treats are available all month — until New Year’s Eve, Koep says — and customers are encouraged to order in advance.

“We are open on Christmas Eve; that’s probably our busiest day of the year,” Koep says. “There’s a limited supply of Buche De Noel, so I suggest customers order ahead.”

Fendu Boulangerie

Manoa Marketplace
2752 Woodlawn Drive., Manoa
988-4310
Monday-Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; closed Christmas Day and Jan. 1-2