Bake

Yule Log Cookies

by:
November 29, 2021
3.3
3 Ratings
Yule Log Cookies
Photo by Julia Gartland. Prop Stylist: Alya Hameedi. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog.
  • Prep time 50 minutes
  • Cook time 14 minutes
  • makes 30 cookies
Author Notes

These Yule log cookies are buttery, chocolatey, and delicious! The base dough is made with Viennese butter cookie dough. These cookies even have that signature swirl that's inside most Yule log or bûche de Noël cakes. I used a star tip to give these cookies a bark-like look and then dipped the cookies in chocolate to make it even more realistic. They would be so adorable on any Christmas table or at a cookie exchange! —Milk and Cardamom

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 7 1/2 tablespoons (52 grams) confectioners' sugar
  • 7 1/2 tablespoons (52 grams) cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground anise
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (226 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (8 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 ounces milk or dark chocolate melting wafers
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • Red and green sprinkles (optional)
  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 355°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, ground anise, salt, and vanilla and mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix until just combined and there are no dry bits of flour in the cookie dough, 1 to 2 minutes more. Split the dough in half (if you’re using a scale, each half should be 250 grams) and set one half aside. To the remaining dough, add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined. Roll out the chocolate dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it is a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat with the vanilla cookie dough. Stack the two doughs on top of each other, gently press down, and freeze for 5 minutes. Roll the dough between a couple sheets of parchment paper until it is a rectangle 1/4 inch thick. Freeze the dough on a baking sheet for 5 minutes. With the chocolate dough on the bottom, use the parchment paper to roll the cookie dough into a log starting from a long side, similar to rolling up a jelly roll. If it breaks or cracks, don't worry, just use your hands to roll it the best you can.
  3. Place the log of cookie dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. If piping is difficult, let the dough warm up for a few minutes. Pipe 3-inch-long lines about 1 inch apart onto your baking sheet. Freeze the cookies for 5 minutes; this helps the cookies hold their shape. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, until they are fragrant and appear dry. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
  4. When the cookies are completely cool, transfer them to a wire cooling rack set inside a parchment-lined baking sheet. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl by microwaving it in 15-second increments, stirring well in between each increment (or in a double boiler over gently simmering water, stirring often until completely smooth). Dip and roll each cookie into the chocolate using a fork, and gently shake off any excess chocolate. Place the cookie onto the baking sheet and continue dipping every cookie. Add any sprinkles or decorations while the chocolate is still wet. Freeze the cookies for 5 minutes to set the chocolate. Lightly dust with confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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  • chefrockyrd
    chefrockyrd
  • Keri Baker
    Keri Baker
  • Krisrkel1
    Krisrkel1
  • Diana
    Diana

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6 Reviews

chefrockyrd
chefrockyrd December 16, 2022
What is the purpose of putting it thru the bag and star tip anyway? Is it to give it the scored look like Diana said? She rolled the dough by hand and scored the rope with a fork. Seems a lot easier. But I do love the way they look.
 
Keri B.
Keri B. December 16, 2022
This recipe needs some more direction. I think the most crucial part of this is how long this rectangle of a yule log is supposed to be before putting it in the bag. When I rolled my dough out today to make a 1/4" thick rectangle, I still made a 2" thick log when I rolled it and when I tried to pipe that through my star tip, my "non-exploding" bag exploded. My tired-from-squeezing-the-life-outta-this-dough hands and my frustrated brain just gave up and I threw the whole thing away. In hindsight, I should've made the log super thin by keeping on rolling it out into a rope that was the thickness of my star tip so piping would've been easier. Maybe I'll try again next year.
 
chefrockyrd
chefrockyrd December 4, 2022
Wish you had put a photo of these cut open to see the layers.
 
Krisrkel1
Krisrkel1 December 17, 2021
These turned out really good to me. I made them with a smaller tip, so they almost looked like Twix. Weren’t as appealing to the eye but I plan on making the actual Yule Log looking ones soon. I covered them with dark chocolate and they were a huge hit with my friends and family. Not too sweet and a hint on salt at the end. They were very tender and can easily fall apart if you don’t let them cool before you dip them. Warning: the not too sweet dough and dark chocolate make these really easy eat many in one sitting. I learned the hard way.
 
Diana
Diana December 8, 2021
Once I created the rolled dough, I found it challenging to put it into a bag and pipe so I just rolled them by hand, thin like the photo, and then scored it with a fork. The dough is sweet but the look is fun.
 
Monica
Monica December 5, 2021
What should the length and width of the rolled dough be?