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Easy Christmas Yule Log Recipe – We tend to go all out when it comes to Christmas desserts. Variety is the key. Cookies, cakes and mousse au chocolat.
But what happens when you’re short on time – when traditional desserts and cakes would require a longer time frame than you have?
What you need is something to make ahead yet quick, easy and if at all possible- with no bake convenience.
I Need It Tomorrow!
Well maybe not exactly tomorrow but something you can prepare at the last minute. At the last minute? That’s the day before in my book. Look at it this way. It will take you longer to run to the supermarket if you don’t have the ingredients. So…
- It’s too late to get into an old fashioned fruitcake.
- Has to travel well. Dessert is going to Grandma’s house.
- Looking for something quick, easy but still with a wow effect?
The only dessert that fits the bill is a yule log. A chocolate Bûche de Noël!
That’s The Ticket: Easy + Wow
You could make it really easy and just buy a yule log. I’ve been tempted more than once.
A typical bûche de Noël is rolled génoise cake (a rolled sponge type cake) filled with a cream filling or chestnut spread.
The rolled cake can be frosted with a rich ganache or simply dusted with powdered cocoa and sugar.
Decorate with marzipan mushrooms, woodland animals or – my favorite – chocolate truffles! Some yule logs are culinary works of art!
But this recipe is as easy as it get. You’ll be smiling while you prepare it.
More Quick Ideas…
I experimented with three different quick ideas. No worries here as the experiments will serve as dessert for several families.
- A quick and easy cookie yule log using a “gutter” shaped mold
- The cake type bûche shaped using a fancy decorative mold
- Another simple wavy cake with a rich cake and filling baked in a semi circular mold
Nordic Ware Yule Log Pan – Highly Detailed /Non stick surface
Stainless Steel Yule Log Mold, 13.75″ LongLeak proof SS Yule Log Mold -Removable Sides 12″ Long
So with only a few days to go, maybe even just a hew hours, let’s hurry and prepare a spectacular Holiday season dessert.
One day, we’ll tackle the true log seen below. It is so detailed it hardly needs much more than a dusting of powdered sugar.
Just a quick note. I fudged a bit with this recipe as I do with just about all of them. Three sticks of butter and half a cup of powdered sugar. The whole bag of cookies. Who’s counting calories at this point?
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The centerpiece of your Christmas dinner dessert table. A no-bake, easy yule log to make when you need a show stopper dessert in a hurry. Think of it as a giant chocolate truffle you can slice into individual servings.
Scale
Ingredients
10.5 oz. of unsalted butter
21 oz. of Ghirardelli® semi-sweet chocolate
1 teaspoon of strong coffee (instant)
2 jumbo eggs
3 1/2 oz. of powdered sugar
7 oz. of Biscoff® cookies, crumbled into pieces about 1/2 inch large. Include the crumbs.
1/2 candied orange, cut into small dice
1/2 cup of premium baking cocoa
8 to 10 servings
Instructions
This type of yule log looks best in a smooth mold. This recipe makes the perfect amount to fill the stainless steel leak-proof mold pictured below. In a pinch, fill a very clean loaf pan instead of a log mold.
Run the mold under running water to wet the entire surface. The remaining water droplets act like glue and help stick the parchment paper in place.
Line the wet mold with parchment paper. Smooth as much as possible to remove any wrinkles in the paper.
Cut the butter into pieces so it melts faster.
Melt the chocolate and butter, stirring with a spatula until it the mixture becomes smooth. Set aside and allow to cool.
Beat the eggs and powered sugar until smooth and pale yellow.
Mix the chocolate mixture with the egg/sugar blend.
Add a small amount of liquid coffee to the chocolate/egg mixture and mix well.
Fold the crumbled cookies into the chocolate mixture.
Sprinkle the candied orange bits evenly over the chocolate mix and fold in carefully.
Pour into the lined mold. Smooth with a clean spatula to spread the mixture evenly in the mold. Tap lightly to remove any air pockets.
Fold the parchment paper over to cover the chocolate. Seal the top with plastic film then carefully wrap the entire mold in foil.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To remove the log from the mold, carefully flip the mold onto a rectangular tray or platter. Place your hands over the mold to warm it up just a little or let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Pull off the end caps, then the mold and carefully remove the parchment paper.
Sprinkle with cocoa, decorate with marzipan pieces then sprinkle with powdered sugar (snow).
Notes
It pays to gently tap the mold to remove air bubbles. As you can see from the image below, lots of bubbles came to the surface (or in this case the bottom of the log). Better there than on the top!
Remove the yule log from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. It is difficult to cut through the chocolate and cookies when still cold. Decorate just before serving.
This is a very rich dessert. Cut into 1/2 thick slices with a serrated knife.
Decorations:
This bûche traveled to grandma’s house so any decoration was last minute – just before serving.
A dusting of powdered sugar, then a few added touches of milk chocolate salted ganache truffles, Ferrero Rocher® (always festive although Raffaello® would look great too!) and a light touch of the Wilton Holiday Mix® Sprinkles.
Variations:
Instead of the Biscoff® cookies use > crunchy bits of Gavottes, crumbled chocolate mint Oreo® cookies or crumbled hazelnut filled Pirouettes
Keywords: yule log, bûche de Noël, chocolate, cookies
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Perfect Pan For A Quick Dessert – And Much More!
My head was spinning with ideas when I first saw this pan. It has so many uses!
My original thought was to bake a jelly roll type chocolate cake, line the pan with perfectly cut pieces, fill with everyone’s favorite chocolate mousse in alternating layers of cake and mousse. Too much work plus the cake would not travel well.
Then I remembered this quick truffle like dessert. I used to make chocolate truffles and they are time consuming but as a sliced dessert? I can do this!
What’s So Special About This Pan?
The #1 feature is that the mold can be used for more than desserts.
- Cooked mixes such as meat, fish and vegetables terrines.
- Cold and frozen mixes such as ice cream cakes, baked Alaska, jellies, aspics and other molded fruit and vegetable mixes.
More super features? It goes in the oven or the freezer. Bake a delicate cake or fish terrine. Prepare an ice cream cake.
Just don’t burn your hands taking it out of the oven or have them stick to the mold when removing it from the freezer.
This sturdy mold is leak-proof, made of stainless steel and completely dishwasher safe! Because it’s Gobel® quality.
Paderno World Cuisine A4982312 Stainless Steel Yule Log Mold with Removable Sides, Gray
It never pays to rush. Even when you are preparing a quick recipe. Half way through pouring the chocolate mixture into the mold I realized that I had forgotten to add the diced orange bits to the mix! Oh well… just have to make another bûche! 🎄
Yule Log Fancy Without Any Frosting!
My yule log is as simple as it gets. Invert onto a fancy platter, remove the mold, dust with cocoa and powdered sugar, top with seasonal decorations – even store bought truffles.
Dust with cocoa and powder just before serving. The feature image and the pin show the log right out of the mold.
Silikomart 8051085260034 3D Mold Magic Mold Cake Pan, Gray
If I had more time, I would try the beautiful relief mold inserts! Slip the textured silicone sheet into the mold then pour the filling as usual. Voilà!
I can think of many ways to get a layered look but the closest we can come to achieving the textured surface is with the Silikomart® baking set or pick from a selection of individual designs.
We need easy and this yule log is as easy as it gets!
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About the Author
1 Cook, 2 Countries & A Taste For World Cuisines: Cooking A La Mode De Chez Nous - Cuisine d'Hier Et d'Aujourd'hui! For the love of home style cooking and great food. Memories are made of this!