Where dessert is concerned, traditional Christmas pudding, fruit cake and mince pies are out of bounds as they contain dried fruit and nuts, both of which can cause blockages. This is especially true for those with ileostomies, due to the narrowness of the ileum.

That said, sometimes a little of what you fancy does you good – so, if you really can’t resist tucking in to the traditional festive sweet treats, or if you find that you can eat dried fruit and nuts in small quantities, just don’t overdo it and remember to keep a food diary to note down any ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods.

This recipe for a traditional chocolate Yule log will go down a treat with ostomates – not to mention the rest of the family!

Originally, the Yule Log was a Nordic tradition developed prior to medieval times. Yule is another name for the Winter Solstice festivals held on 22nd December in Scandinavia and parts of northern Europe, like Germany. Initially, the Yule Log took the form of an entire tree that would be carried into the house, with the largest end placed in the hearth of the fire and the remainder of the trunk sticking out across the room. The log would be lit using the remains of last year’s log.

Ingredients

Cake

3 eggs

85g golden caster sugar

85g plain flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

Filling/icing

50g butter

140g dark chocolate, broken into squares

1 tbsp golden syrup

284ml pot double cream

200g icing sugar, sifted

Icing sugar and holly sprigs to decorate (remove berries prior to serving)

Method

Cake

Preheat oven to 200°C/ gas 6 – that’s 180°C for fan ovens. Grease a 23 x 32cm Swiss roll tin and line with baking parchment.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together for 6-8 minutes, until smooth and creamy (an electric whisk is easier to use for this if you have one).
Combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder in a smaller bowl, then sift into the egg and sugar mixture, folding in gradually.
Carefully pour the mixture into the cake tin, slowly tilting the tin from side to side to allow the mixture to spread evenly into each corner. Bake in the oven for around ten minutes, until firm.
Place a sheet of baking parchment on the work surface and tip the cake onto it. Then, peel off the lining paper and roll the cake up from its longest edge, with the paper still inside. Allow to cool for 10-20 minutes.

Filling/Icing

Boil some water in a medium-sized saucepan and melt the butter and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl placed on top.
Remove from the heat and add the syrup and 5 tbsp double cream, stirring until combined
Stir in the icing sugar.
Whisk the remaining cream until it holds its shape. Unravel the cake, spread the cream over the top in an even layer, then carefully roll up again into a log.
Spread the icing over the log and branch (without covering the ends), then use a fork to mark the icing to give the effect of tree bark. Scatter with unsifted icing sugar to resemble snow, and decorate with holly.