Menu

Chocolate Salami

Looking for an easy treat for Valentine’s Day? You’ve got plenty of time to make this chocolate “salami” that requires no cooking, and comes together lickety-split, using ingredients you may already have in the house. I used amaretti cookies to simulate the bits of fat running through a real salami, but you could use graham crackers, digestive biscuits or even chocolate chip cookies.

Crumple them up and mix them in a bowl with nuts and dried fruit of your choice. I used pistachios, hazelnuts and dried cherries and it was a winning combination. But if you like almonds or walnuts instead, or dried cranberries or dried apricots, those would be delicious too.

Melt some chocolate. You could use milk chocolate, but I prefer dark chocolate and used Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate. If you want to spring for a more expensive chocolate, go for it, but Hershey’s Special Dark won a blind taste test on America’s Test Kitchen years ago and I’ve been using it since then for nearly all my recipes requiring dark chocolate. It costs a lot less than the specialty brands, so that’s a nice plus too. Mix the melted chocolate with all the above ingredients and add some liqueur. It’s not strictly necessary, but it does add another layer of flavor.

Some recipes for chocolate salami ask you to add raw eggs, but I thought I’d try it without, since so many people have health concerns about using raw eggs in recipes. The risk is miniscule, but still, why take any risk, I thought.

Next, dish out the chocolate into a log shape. It will be too soft to shape at this point, so put it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, or until it firms.

Once firm, roll it into a log shape to make it more “solid.”

Then roll into confectioner’s sugar to simulate the white “bloom” that appears on aged salami.

If you have some butcher’s string, tie it across the chocolate salami to mimic a real salami.

Slice it and watch the surprise when people realize it’s not really cured meat, but a delightful chocolate treat. Happy Valentine’s Day.

 

Save Print
Chocolate Salami
 
Ingredients
  • 12 oz. chocolate, melted (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
  • 1 stick (8 ounces) butter
  • ½ cup crumpled amaretti cookies (or graham crackers or "digestive" biscuits)
  • ½ cup pistachios
  • ½ cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped (or other nuts you prefer
  • ¼ cup dried cherries
  • 1 T. Cherry Marnier (or any liqueur you like)
  • powdered sugar for exterior
  • twine (optional)
Instructions
  1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
  2. When it is nearly melted, add the butter in pieces and melt it.
  3. Chop the amaretti cookies and nuts (I left the pistachios whole) and put in a bowl with the cherries.
  4. Pour the melted chocolate over the nuts and cookies and add the liqueur.
  5. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes until it firms up, but keep checking because you don't want it so firm that it's too hard to roll.
  6. Dish out the chocolate onto a piece of plastic or waxed paper.
  7. Roll into a log and place it back in the refrigerator until very firm, maybe an hour or so.
  8. When it's firm, sprinkle powdered sugar all over.
  9. Tie up with butcher's string if desired, and slice to serve.
 

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint This Recipe
You Might Also Like
January 2009 554

Habemus Fungus

We grew these! At home. In a cardboard box. Yes, that's right,…

This Post Has 14 Comments

  1. My, but how great your site looks. As you know I have been “out of circulation” for some time now, and I love seeing your new updated look. Congratulazioni!

    How I adore Chocolate Salami. I have long thought it is a terrifically clever confection, and I have always meant to write about it myself. Your version is an absolute delight, and your step by step lesson is most illuminating. Do you deliver?

  2. Chocolate Salami is the BEST! I used almonds because I didn’t have any hazelnuts, and candied ginger, too. The recipe I used also called for some zest (I used lemon) and 1/4 c. heavy cream. It’s so versatile!

    I made the sweets for my mother’s 90th birthday party several years ago, and this was a hit! Sadly, she died two weeks ago, but she sure did like that party, so this was a nice reminder. Everybody should make this!

  3. I think this would be the perfect chocolate treat for Valentine’s Day! I especially like the fact that you have eliminated the eggs in this recipe. One hundred percent in agreement with you… why take the risk. Thanks for reminding me about this wonderful classic treat ♥

  4. Delightful! I’ve been meaning to try my hand at a chocolate salami for years but have never gotten around to it. I love the nuts and dried cherries, sounds like a fantastic mix of flavors. The powdered sugar to mimic the bloom of a real salami is a clever touch.

  5. I love this sweet. I see so many with raw eggs but have never gone there. I usually will make this over the holidays but Valentine’s Day is perfect. Never did the dried cherries (or any dried fruit). Loving the combination.

  6. Linda, your chocolate salami looks perfect! Just looks like a salami from the outside! I love it! I was first introduced to chocolate salami by an Italian exchange student who stayed with us a few years ago. Her recipe also used raw egg. I’ve been making it ever since omitting the egg but it never looks quite as good as yours!

  7. The string just finishes it all off, it looks so reaI, what a treat! I just bought some Hersheys Special Dark and I agree, it’s really good

  9. I have made this 🙂 It’s such a great recipe and love how it looks! I think your recipe has a few more delicious ingredients than the one I tried so now I’ll have to make it again!

Comments are closed.