Chocolate Salami

The first time I saw a slice of chocolate salami, my heart skipped a beat. Imagine the consistency and richness of a chocolate truffle, but now imagine a whole roll of the stuff, peppered with tiny morsels of all your favorite things: candied ginger, pistachios, almonds, and crispy amaretti cookies...

Chocolate salami is a very easy 'no-bake' dessert (a lovely option if you're not a fan of baking!) It also makes a great DIY gift to offer friends or family during the holiday season. (Wrap it up in kitchen twine to give it an authentic salami look and I can guarantee a few ooh's and aah's) The salami log can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week and brought out as needed, cut into slices, and served either as dessert after a meal, or on a tray alongside other holiday cookies.

An old Italian dessert, there are many variations of chocolate salami recipes floating around out there, so it's one that you can adapt to suit your tastes. You can use nuts or dried fruit of your choice, your favorite crispy cookies, and whatever liqueur you've got on hand. You can also use whichever chocolate suits your fancy, though dark chocolate is definitely recommended. I like to use a very dark bittersweet chocolate. My version of this recipe differs somewhat from others in that it has no added sugar (I don't like chocolate desserts when they are overly sweet). Personally, I love the flavors of orange zest, amaretto, and the zing of candied ginger but as I said, you can easily modify this to suit your tastes, just make sure you stick to the basic chocolate, butter, cream, and liqueur ratios, and you're good to go! Happy salami making and happy holiday season everyone!

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series was nominated for a 2014 James Beard Award. In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine's Best Food Blog award in the video category.