Bûche de Noël Cookies with Chocolate Hazelnut Filling
Inspired by classic Bûche de Noël cakes, these slice-and-bake cookies are filled with a creamy chocolate-hazelnut center and topped with glossy ganache. Finished with fork-dragged “tree bark” texture and festive sprinkles, they look like mini Yule logs — perfect for holiday cookie trays and gifting. Makes (18 ) 2 x 3 inch cookies
Servings: 18 cookies
Equipment
- food processor
- microwave
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter cubed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Filling
- ½ cup chocolate hazelnut spread such as Nutella or Bonne Maman
- ⅓ cup hazelnut flour or almond flour
Chocolate Ganache
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped for quicker melting
- ¼ cup chocolate hazelnut spread
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Garnish Optional
- Holly sprinkles
- Confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt until combined.
- Add cold butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly.
- Add egg and vanilla bean paste; pulse until dough comes together.
- Scrape the dough together into a ball and divide in half, shaping each portion into a flat rectangle. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Make the Filling
- In a small bowl, stir together chocolate hazelnut spread and hazelnut (or almond flour) until smooth and fully combined.
Assemble the Cookie Logs
- Roll one portion of dough into a 16 × 6-inch rectangle. Trim edges if needed.
- Spread half of the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border along one long edge.
- Starting from the long edge opposite the border, roll dough tightly into a log, using parchment paper to help guide the roll.
- Wrap log in parchment, twisting ends to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- Freeze logs until firm, about 1 hour.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Trim ends of each log and slice on the diagonal into 9 cookies, about 1¾ inches thick.
- Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake 17–20 minutes, until edges are set and lightly golden.
- Cool on pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Ganache
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine all ganache ingredients.
- Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth and fully melted.
Decorate
- Allow ganache to cool slightly and thicken a bit, about 5 minutes. Using an offset spatula or spoon, add a layer of ganache to top of cookie and place cookie on a piece of parchment or wire rack to set.
- Drag the tines of a fork through the ganache to create a bark-like texture.
- Garnish with holly sprinkles if desired.
- Let ganache set, about an hour.
- Optional: Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- No food processor? Cut butter into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or two forks, then use a mixer to blend dough.
- If you don't have a microwave, combine ganache ingredients in a pan over medium heat on the cooktop, stirring until melted.
- The original directions said to dip the tops of the cookies in the ganache and let it drip back in the bowl. I had a hard time controlling the ganache and found it much easier to apply with an offset spatula after it cooled and firmed up a bit. You don’t have to worry about applying the ganache evenly or smoothly as you’ll be using a fork to drag through it to create the ‘bark’ texture. It works best if you allow the ganache to cool and thicken just a bit. To add more bark texture, use a toothpick to score more lines in the ganache.
- You’ll have about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of ganache left over. You can use it to dip strawberries or give a plain cookie a festive upgrade and coating half of it in ganache and add sprinkles if desired. Note: If your ganache has firmed up, just give it a gentle reheat and stir before dipping.
- Make ahead: Dough logs can be frozen for up to 1 month; slice and bake straight from the freezer, adding a couple extra minutes to bake time.
- Extra festive: Add a tiny rosemary sprig or sugared cranberries to your serving platter for a woodland holiday look.