Bite into a Maltese Christmas log and instead of landing on soft sponge, you'll find a texture made of biscuits and nuts. Check out the above video to find out how a Maltese Christmas log is made using Morning Coffee biscuits - and if your taste buds aren't already tingling, we promise, you'll forever say goodbye to the sponge version of the log when you've tasted this!

Still, there is no one hard and fast recipe for this traditional sweet. Generally featuring crushed biscuits, two or three preferred varieties of nuts, candied peel, whisky or brandy, (and obviously, chocolate!), every family will have its own handed-down-through-the-generations traditional recipe for their Maltese Christmas log.

The above log from a recipe by A Maltese Mouthful gives a good idea of what to expect, but where did the tradition come from? It is said that in the bygone days, when wood burning was the standard source of heating during European winters, a log would be brought into the house around the winter solstice - just before Christmas - to warm up the house. This was also a celebration of the lengthening light of day following the longest night of the year. Considered a lucky charm in itself, a piece of the previous year's log would be kept to light the one of the following year.

It was a pastry maker called Pierre Lecam who made the first edible log in Paris at the end of the 19th century, when modern heating was in place. This way, the luck offered by the traditional log would continue; and the delicious cake certainly made everyone happier! Only the traditional log consisted of rolled frosted Italian sponge cake that was then frosted and decorated like a log... a little different to the Maltese version.

Since wood burning was not a thing in Malta, who knows how the idea came about on the island, though let's be honest - do we care? In any case, the recipe is completely unique and, in our opinion, the best worldwide. Let us know what you think!