Fun With Food ~ Chocolate Salami

I had the pleasure of first sampling this rich and tasty dessert at a friend’s house over the holidays. After my first bite I was hooked and inquired after the preparation of the dish. Luckily, everyone here is happy to share their secrets and pass on tips. First, let me explain, chocolate salami is not salami at all (even though Greg wolfs this dessert down, he has a hard time getting past the name). This simple, no bake dessert only resembles salami. This Italian favorite was originally served around the holidays but now is acceptable any time of year. I think it’s the perfect dessert to serve while entertaining. The best part is that you can prepare it ahead of time and store it in the freezer.

Voilà! A salame di cioccolato (chocolate salami)

INGREDIENTS (serves 8 people)

>One (1) cup of biscotti or dry cookie broken into pieces
>Eight (8) ounces of dark chocolate. I used 70%
>One (1) stick of high quality butter, softened
>Two (2) eggs, very fresh
>Half (½) cup of sugar
>Quarter (¼) cup, freshly brewed espresso
>Confectioners’ sugar, as needed
>Chopped nuts optional (I didn’t use them but I think I will try next time)

***RAW EGG WARNING. I have been told you can make this dish without using eggs but I haven’t tried this myself.

DIRECTIONS

Begin by breaking up the biscotti and setting them aside. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler and stir until there are no lumps.

Don't crumble them too much - they'll need to represent the inside of a salami — Don’t crumble them too much – they’ll need to represent the inside of a salami

Try not to lose any ingredients in the process — Try not to lose any too many of your cookie crumbles in the process

Use a double boiler to melt the chocolate

The double boil method is easy and brings the chocolate to a perfect consistency

Stir butter in a large bowl. Continue stirring and add sugar and eggs. Once combined stir in the chocolate and add the espresso. Stir the cookies into the chocolate mixture until well combined.

It's always nice to have a helping hand — It’s always nice to have a helping hand

Stir together and watch little "biscotti thieves" — Stir together and watch little “biscotti thieves”

Place the mixture on a large sheet of wax paper and begin to shape the mixture into a salami by rolling it on your work surface. Tightly secure the ends and place the “salami” in the refrigerator for 8 hours. I continued to roll the salami in the refrigerator so that it wouldn’t become flat on one side.

Roll the mixture onto wax paper and form the shape — Roll the mixture in wax paper and form the shape

Tie off the ends and set in the refrigerator to form

Remove salami from the refrigerator and unwrap. Cover the salami with confectioners’ sugar using brush. Put the salami on a wooden board when ready to serve.

This dish should keep in your refrigerator for a maximum or two-three days. It should last in your freezer for about one month. Of course, if you have someone like Greg in your home, there is no way it will last anywhere near that long! Enjoy!

2 thoughts on “Fun With Food ~ Chocolate Salami”

Allison Fay-Ebert says:

May 14, 2014 at 1:22 pm

If you lay the finished roll on a bed of rice in the refrigerator it will keep its shape.
1. Greg and Jen says:
  
  May 16, 2014 at 3:25 pm
  
  Allison, thanks for the suggestion. That’s a great tip – we’ll definitely do that next time.