A salame di cioccolato, or Chocolate Salami, is a charming little dessert, much more delicious than its easy peasy recipe gives it a right to be. This “salami” is actually just dark chocolate whisked with eggs and sugar to form a kind of mousse, then folded with broken up tea biscuits. After firming up overnight in the fridge, the salami is dusted with confectioner’s sugar to resemble the bloom of well-cured charcuterie. Some people even take the effect a step further and tie it up with string.
To complete the conceit, you can serve your Chocolate Salami on a cutting board, with the first few slices already cut, along with small knife so your guests can help themselves to more slices if they like, just as you would with a real salami. A festive dessert for a holiday party or just anytime you’d like to treat yourself to something sweet and pretty.
Ingredients
Makes one large chocolate salami
- 125g (4-1/2 oz or one stick) butter
- 2 eggs
- 50 g (1-3/4 oz) dark cocoa
- 150 g (5 oz) sugar
- A jiggler of rum, amaretto, brandy or other spirit of your liking
- 200g (7 oz) tea biscuits, vanilla wafers or other dry cookie (biscuit)
- Confectioner’s sugar, q.b.
Optional:
- Crumbled almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and/or pistachios
Directions
Melt the butter over very gentle heat. Remove from the heat as soon as the butter has melted and let cool Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then whisk in the cocoa, sugar, melted butter and rum. Continue whisking until you have a smooth and fluffy mixture that resembles a chocolate mousse. (A standing mixer makes short work of this step.)
Break up the biscuits into small pieces. I like to do this by placing the biscuits in a Ziplock bag and gently banging them with a rolling pin. Take care, however, that you don’t reduce them to powder!
Fold the biscuit pieces (and the nuts, if using) into the chocolate mixture with a spatula until they are completely covered by and well incorporated into the mixture.
Pour out the chocolate mixture onto a large sheet of parchment or wax paper, the using two spatulas form the mixture into a cylindrical shape resembling a salami.
Roll up your Chocolate Salami in the paper, using your hands to smooth it out from end to end, then twist each end of the paper and tuck them under the salami. Chill in your refrigerator overnight to firm up.
Remove the salami from the fridge. Unwrap and dust it all over with the confectioner’s sugar.
Lay out the your Chocolate Salami on a cutting board, slice and serve while it’s still cold.
Notes on Chocolate Salami
The essence of a Chocolate Salami lies, of course, in the cocoa. You should be sure to use pure cocoa, the kind you’d use to make hot chocolate or for baking. Cocoa mixes for making hot chocolate often contain powdered milk, sugar and other stuff you don’t want.
As for the biscuits, plain or vanilla tea biscuits, vanilla wafers or any other neutral-flavored, dry biscuit or cookie for do, although I’ve seen some recipes that call for cantucci or amaretti. .
If you’re in a rush, the stay in the fridge can abbreviated. Some recipes say as little as two hours will do the trick, others 6, but I’d say 4 is more like the minimum.
Variations
Another version of the Chocolate Salami has you use melted dark chocolate instead of cocoa. You heat the chocolate over a very gentle flame (or in a bain marie) until it’s just barely melted, let it cool, then add it to the mixing bowl. Again, I’d opt for chocolate high (85% or more) cocoa content rather than the semi-sweet variety, although if that’s all you have, you can cut back a bit on the sugar you add in.
The rum will lend your Chocolate Salami a lovely flavor, but any spirit that would complement the chocolate would do fine. Besides the common ones listed above, I could imagine an orange based liqueur would be lovely as well. You can, of course, simply leave it out if you are avoiding alcohol or serving children. (Although the tiny amount here won’t get anyone tipsy.)
If you’re a bit nervous about using raw eggs, there are eggless versions of this dish; add a bit of milk instead to thin out the chocolate mixture. The texture will not be quite as mousse-like but your salami will still be quite tasty.
Making Your Chocolate Salami Ahead
Your Chocolate Salami can keep in the fridge for a few days. In fact, I think the flavor improves after a day. It starts to suffer after three or so, but will still be quite edible. They say you can freeze it as well, thawed overnight in the fridge before serving, though I haven’t tried it.
Salame di cioccolato (Chocolate Salami)
Ingredients
- 125g 4-1/2 oz butter (one stick)
- 2 2 eggs
- 50g 1-3/4 oz dark cocoa
- 150g 5 oz sugar
- A jiggler of rum, amaretto, brandy or other spirit of your liking
- 200g 7 oz tea biscuits, vanilla wafers or other dry cookie (biscuit)
- Confectioner's sugar q.b.
Optional
- Crumbled almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and/or pistachios
Instructions
- Melt the butter over very gentle heat. Remove from the heat as soon as the butter has melted and let cool Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then whisk in the cocoa, sugar, melted butter and rum. Continue whisking until you have a smooth and fluffy mixture that resembles a chocolate mousse. (A standing mixer makes short work of this step.)
- Break up the biscuits into small pieces. I like to do this by placing the biscuits in a Ziplock bag and gently banging them with a rolling pin. Take care, however, that you don't reduce them to powder!
- Fold the biscuit pieces (and the nuts, if using) into the chocolate mixture with a spatula until they are completely covered by and well incorporated into the mixture.
- Pour out the chocolate mixture onto a large sheet of parchment or wax paper, the using two spatulas form the mixture into a cylindrical shape resembling a salami.
- Roll up your Chocolate Salami in the paper, using your hands to smooth it out from end to end, then twist each end of the paper and tuck them under the salami. Chill in your refrigerator overnight to firm up.
- Remove the salami from the fridge. Unwrap and dust it all over with the confectioner's sugar.
- Lay out the your Chocolate Salami on a cutting board, slice and serve while it's still cold.
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And…once again your “salami” looks aweseome! Just made two a few days ago…I like to add finely chopped figs to my mixture. The salami is definitely a keeper recipe for the holidays. Cheers to you Frank!
Enjoy! And have a wonderful holiday season. 🙂
I just made the chocolate salami and it is now resting in the fridge over night. I can hardly wait for tasting it.
Hope you like it, Bengt!
A trip down memory lane: it was one of my favorite desserts when I was a kid. With a bit of pressing my mother would agree to make it for us. It is a simple dessert and yet it has a rich flavor and great texture. Thank you for reminding me 🙂
And thank you for your comment, Simona. Nice that I was able to bring back some fond memories… 🙂
This chocolate salami looks incredible, Frank! I will definitely try to make it between now and Christmas. Some toasted nuts would be a great addition too, as you suggested. I know the kids are going to love it!
I’m sure they will, Marilena. Happy holidays to you and yours!
Hah, you got me on this one Frank. When I first glance I thought it was real salami. What a great idea and I love the cutting board plating tip. Thanks for sharing and we’ll see how it freezes as I’m all about make it ahead this year.
Excellent. So I did my job right. 😉 Hope you enjoy it.
Deliciously irrestible!!!
Thanks!
I’ve seen these chocolate salami ideas from time to time, but I’ve never tried my hand at making one. I think this might be the year! I could see this being a really fun addition to a holiday cocktail party. And I’d be going with amaretto all the way here. This sounds awesome, Frank!
Thanks, David! I think it’d be a big hit at a party. Enjoy!
We were served chocolate salami at a dinner party once and both loved it! It’s fun, and very clever. However, I’ve always regretted not asking for the recipe. Now I have no regrets, thanks to you, Frank. Hope you’re having a good Christmas season…
You’re welcome, David! All the best to you and yours, too.
Ha…just about to make some chocolate salami this week! But…I’m going to make one with dried figs…we shall see…my first attempt!
A fig salami sounds delightful. Do hope you blog about it, Phyllis!
No worries about this lasting three days at our house — it’d be gone by then! This looks terrific — very creative idea. Thanks!
Ha! And you’re welcome, John. Enjoy!
Can’t Wait to try this Salami Recipe…
Vince T. WYO
Hope you like it, Vincenzo!
I searched all over for biscuits that taste like the ones I used to use in Italy when I learned how to make this beautiful dessert. I found the Nabisco animal crackers have approximately the same taste as the Italian biscuits that I once used.
Thanks for reminding me of this great holiday dessert.
Thanks for the tip, Thomas. I would never have thought of animal crackers but it makes a lot sense.
Thank you so much for reminding me of this simple but delicious classic! As it happens, I need something to round out my sweets table for our New Year’s day levee. All the best to you in the new year.
That’s fantastic, Adrienne. I’m sure you and guests will enjoy this one.
This looks fantastic, Frank! One of the best I’ve seen. I’ve always wanted to make a chocolate salami, but still haven’t! Oh, the list of things to make in my kitchen is just as long as the places I want to travel to!
I think you’ll like it, Christina. I have a long list, too, but this one is worth putting on your short list. 🙂