For Paul and Marcia Masse, Christmas began in July. That's when their busy Berkeley bakery, Masse's, received its first call about a buche de Noel.
Never mind that Christmas was still months away, or that Masse's doesn't accept orders for the yule-log-shaped desserts until the first of December.
"It's a ritual of celebration," Marcia Masse says of her eager customers.
With Christmas just 10 days away, Bay Area bakeries and restaurants are overflowing with marzipan, mousse and all things sweet and decadent. And if annual phone orders are any indication, the classic buche de Noel remains the créme de la créme of holiday desserts.
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