The PISTACHIO YULE LOG, a variation of the classic Christmas yule log, is a soft, creamy and obviously super-indulgent dessert. It’s really simple to make and will deliver the “wow” effect when you present it to your guests. Its deliciousness is accompanied by the beauty of the dessert, which fits perfectly with the festive Christmas atmosphere, when we all seek sweetness in our eyes and hearts as well as on the plate.
Making this yule log doesn’t require special skills or a lot of time, especially if you follow the step-by-step photo recipe below. It’s important to choose quality ingredients (especially the pistachio spread, which should contain the precious nut and not just coloring…) and to take a little time for decoration, which in this case is truly essential.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 8 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 562.09 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 48.06 (g) of which sugars 37.78 (g)
- Proteins 9.36 (g)
- Fat 38.54 (g) of which saturated 12.42 (g)of which unsaturated 4.44 (g)
- Fibers 1.01 (g)
- Sodium 164.47 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 7 fl oz heavy cream
- 7 oz white chocolate
- 3/4 oz pistachios
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 eggs (medium, at room temperature)
- 0.6 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup pistachio flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 9 oz mascarpone
- 3.5 oz pistachio spread
- 2 2/3 tbsp powdered sugar
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THE PISTACHIO YULE LOG
- 2 Bowls
- Electric whisk
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Whisk (hand)
PISTACHIO YULE LOG PREPARATION
Chop the white chocolate and place it in a large bowl together with the coarsely chopped pistachios (I used pistachio-flavored chocolate).
Heat the cream with a pinch of salt, but do not let it boil.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous cream.
Let the ganache cool to room temperature, then cover it and place it in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
Separate the yolks from the whites and whisk the whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt.
Beat the yolks with the sugar until they are pale and frothy.
Add the egg whites in several additions, folding them in gently with a spatula from the bottom up so as not to deflate them.
Finally add the sifted flour and the pistachio flour (you can make this yourself by finely grinding pistachios) and fold them in gently with the spatula so as not to deflate the mixture.
Lightly moisten a baking sheet, cover it with parchment paper and press it down so it adheres.
Pour the batter onto the sheet and use a spatula to spread it evenly over the entire surface.
Bake in a preheated, conventional oven at 356°F (180°C) and cook for 10–12 minutes.
Once the sponge is ready, remove it from the oven, dust the surface with sugar, cover with a clean, damp tea towel, then very gently invert the tray.
Remove the parchment paper and roll the sponge up starting from the shorter side.
Once the sponge cake is wrapped in the towel, let it cool.
In a bowl, quickly work the mascarpone with the powdered sugar and the pistachio spread.
Unroll the sponge, fill it with a uniform layer of cream, leaving about 3/8 inch empty along the long side, and roll it up again.
Trim the ends of the roll and set them aside.
Take the well-chilled ganache from the fridge and whip it with the beaters until it becomes thick and creamy. Spread it over the largest part of the roll, attach the two reserved end pieces to give it the classic log shape, and cover those pieces with ganache as well.
Transfer the pistachio yule log to a serving plate and place it in the fridge to firm up for at least 3 hours. Serve sprinkled with crushed pistachios.
