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Smelling Salts Journal

December 23, 2019

Advent Day 23, 2019: Reinvent the Bûche de Noël

Oh, look at sweet sweet Julia throwing icing sugar on her classic yule log cake, which has already been covered in meringue-mushrooms and lain in a manger of festive laurels. Over the past seven years, I’ve made all sorts of Bûches de Noēl: Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Malt, Chocolate Hazelnut, Cannoli, my odds-on favourite Lemon with Mascarpone, Gingerbread, and traditional Chocolate with Coffee Cream.

This year, we’re throwing out the cake pan and making a yule log of a different sort: an assemblage of chocolate dipped oatmeal cookie ice-cream sandwiches. That’s right. We’re creating the gourmet version of my favourite California ice-cream novelty: the It’s-It ice-cream sandwich. And then we’re sandwiching the sandwiches all together with an easy whipped cream icing for a yule log like never before!

Voila! The Chocolate Covered Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich Bûche de Noël!

Print Recipe

IT’S-IT Style Chocolate Covered Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich Bûche de Noël

Serves 8

Ingredients

Ice Cream

  • ~1.8 Litres of Ice Cream any flavour. Straight flavours or those with finer chopped mix-ins are the best. We used Roasted Marshmallow and Mint with fine chips.

SSJ’s Best Oatmeal Cookies [the half recipe]

  • Makes 20-22 You will 18-20 for the recipe
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/16 tsp cloves
  • 1/16 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats or rolled oats [but not minute oats]

Gourmet Chocolate Shell

  • 8 oz [225 grams] semi-sweet or dark chocolate
  • 6 tbs [100 grams] coconut oil
  • 1-2 generous pinches Maldon flake or other sea salt [OPTIONAL]
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Frosting [For the Buche de Noel] – halve?

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Preparation Essentials

  • 9 x13x2 Glass or Metal Baking Pan
  • Plastic Wrap
  • 3 inch Biscuit Cutter
  • Wire Racks

Instructions

Prep and Portion the Ice Cream

  • Allow ice cream to soften in its container on the counter for 20-30 minutes until it is soft enough to push with a spreader.
  • Line the tin/baking pan with plastic wrap.
  • Spread ice cream to 1 or 1 ¼ inch height across the baking sheet.
  • Freeze for 1-2 hours.
  • Cut 8 circlets with the 3-inch biscuit cutter.
  • Rewrap each circlet in plastic.
  • Freeze for at least 2 hours.

Make the Cookies

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a stand mixer or large bowl beat butter on medium to high until softened.
  • Add brown sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt and beat until combined.
  • Beat in eggs and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary.
  • Beat in the flour.
  • Beat in the oats.
  • Drop dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets by proper tablespoonfuls (not rounded) 2 to 3 inches apart.
  • Bake until lightly browned at edges and set in the centres, approximately 10 minutes.
  • [If cookies are larger than 3 inches, trim with a biscuit cutter while still warm]
  • Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes.
  • Transfer to a wire rack & cool completely.

Make the Chocolate Shell

  • Over a double-boiler or in 20 second medium-power bursts in the microwave, melt the chocolate and the oil.
  • Add the salt and vanilla and stir to combine.

Assemble the Sandwiches

  • Place 8 cookies down on wire rack.
  • Place a circlet of ice cream over the top so that it extends evenly over the edges of the cookie.
  • Place a second cookie on top of the ice cream circlet.
  • Pour the chocolate shell over the tops of the ice cream sandwiches.
  • Dunk the bases of the cookies in a bowl of the magic shell, or flip and pour again.
  • Return to freezer to harden completely, 15 minutes to an hour.

Make the Whipped Cream Frosting

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract.
  • Using the whisk, whip on medium-high for 2-3 minutes, until the cream is fluffy and holds a medium-firm peak.

Assemble the Bûche de Noël

  • One at a time, use a bit of whipped cream to attach six ice cream sandwiches end to end to create a “log.”
  • Then, attach the final two sandwiches as "knots" on towards the top and bottom of each side of the "log."
  • Decorate with additional frosting in a piping bag if so-desired.
  • Cover well and freeze until ready to serve.
  • Allow to sit for 10-15 for cookies to thaw before serving.

Notes

For best results enjoy the assembled sandwiches and cake within 0-3 days of assembly. Allow the Bûche de Noël to thaw for 10-15 minutes before serving so that cookies aren’t rock solid when you bite into them.

You can also find individual recipes here for 1) IT’S-IT STYLE CHOCOLATE COVERED OATMEAL COOKIE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES; 2) SSJ’S BEST OATMEAL COOKIES; & 3) GOURMET CHOCOLATE SHELL.

VIEW THE 2019 ADVENT CALENDAR

Filed Under: Advent Calendar, All Recipes, Cakes, Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Holiday, Holiday Baking, Living, Special

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Welcome to Smelling Salts! I'm Roseanne, and this is where I record my best recipes, take notes on arts, culture, and style, and write essays about what keeps me going.
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