Salame al Cioccolato (Christmas Chocolate Salame)

Salame al Cioccolato (Christmas Chocolate Salame), is a classic sweet treat during Christmas holidays in an Italian household. A no-bake dessert, chocolatey with crunchy bits inside, and with a look that resembles a savory salami.

Song of the day: Come Away With Me - Nora Jones.

[This post is sponsored by The Italian Centre Shop. We’ve been compensated but -as always- all opinions are our own.]

You had seen the teaser, the preview, of this Salame al Cioccolato quite some time ago and were wondering, maybe, when we were going to post it. Well, Christmas has been busy over here, and even a bit down with the terrible flu. We've managed anyway to create so many recipes, that we postponed this one to be shared just on Christmas Eve to wish you all Buon Natale, a very Merry Christmas, Italian-style.

We were also feeling confident because we had shared the link to the Italian Centre Shop website, where you had the recipe and some of the pictures, for you to recreate it. The best part of this Christmas dessert is that it is quick to make and a no-bake recipe, so you can still make it today, if you wish, lol.

As you can see in the pictures below, the recipe is taken from a pretty old Italian recipe book that belonged to my mom; that's her handwriting, her very basic ingredient list, and very minimal instructions, in pure old fashion-style. I asked for her permission to take it with me this past summer in order to recreate as many recipes as we can.

She used to make this Salame al Cioccolato for me and my brother, during the Christmas holidays, and sometimes I would help, it was so much fun feeling like a sculptor to give it the right shape. It never lasted until Christmas. It was enjoyed fast, one slice at a time, licking our fingers in delight.

In Italy, it's not a surprise anymore when this Salame al Cioccolato hits the table, but here you can have a little fun fooling your guests into thinking that they are having a savory salami for dessert.

How to make Salame al Cioccolato, Christmas Chocolate Salame.

So, the look you want to obtain is that of a salami: outside shape, white skin on top, dark color inside, and "fat" pieces when you cut into it. And for that, you need cocoa and melted chocolate, icing sugar, chopped cookies. To give sweetness to your salame al cioccolato, and to help you with the shape, you then need sugar, butter, vanilla, and another liquid that in my mom's recipe was Marsala, that we substituted with Kahlua. I guess you can substitute liqueur with milk for a kid-friendly version, although in Italy it is not uncommon to give the kids some "boozy" sweets (think of Loreto growing up at Zabaione, which is eggs beaten with sugar and Marsala ????).

After you've blended all the ingredients together, you have to give it the salami shape. I used a piece of parchment paper to help me roll it and elongate it into its shape, twisting the ends of the parchment to create that so familiar ridged end to the salami. Then, it's only a bit of time in the fridge to set before it is ready to be enjoyed.

When you unroll it from the paper, dust the icing sugar on top and smoothen it with your hands. You can add a butcher twine around it to make it look even more authentic and wrap it back in parchment paper, and it is ready to be given as a special edible treat.

The moment you reveal this dessert on the table, you will see surprised looks and soft smiles, as your family and guests try to guess what it could possibly be.

A Salame al Cioccolato, you would say, an Italian Christmas Chocolate Salami. And the smiles will turn to cat-like grins from ear to ear.

This Christmas holiday I surprised Loreto with this Salame al Cioccolato. He had never seen it or heard of it, let alone taste it. I loved the look on his face when he saw it, it was priceless, he wanted to pick it up and smell it to see if it really was a salami. So, in good fashion, it is only right to let him describe the flavors and textures so I am turning it on you, Loreto.

Loreto: Wow, nothing like a little bit of pressure, I am having performance anxiety. I will give it my best. The first thing that I notice is that beautiful texture and the look of the interior of this wonderful bundle of pure goodness. It truly looks like a salami but the aroma is giving it away. The cocoa giving its deep mystic color and those morsels of Savoiardi nestled in the crystallized folds of the chocolate is so enticing. I take a bite and it is so delicious, the chocolate coming to the forefront, dark with a subtle sweet smokiness. The texture melt in your mouth as those morsels just break apart. The only thing to take you out of that sultry experience is the crunch of the Savoiardi which is a pleasing surprise and adds a little fun to the mix, I love it. There is a sweetness but not to the point of chattering teeth but a well-balanced flavor of cocoa, sugar, the Kahlua, and biscotti. I truly love this dessert. I am a bit of a prankster and love to make people laugh and love surprises especially delicious ones like this!

Buon Natale! Merry Christmas from us!

P.s. In just a couple of days, I'll be leaving for Italy, without Loreto, where I am going to stay until the middle of April, for work. As usual, together with the happiness of going back to my roots, to family and friends, there is sadness for having to leave him and my life here in Canada, behind. Another bittersweet moment. I will see you all in the Spring, in the meantime, I am going to post my recipes from Italy and Loreto is going to post more from our Canadian Kitchen.

Song of the day: Come Away With Me - Nora Jones, that I dedicate to my husband.

Salame al Cioccolato (Christmas Chocolate Salame)

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Salame al Cioccolato (Christmas Chocolate Salame), is a classic sweet treat during Christmas holidays in an Italian household. A no-bake dessert, chocolatey with crunchy bits inside, and with a look that resembles a savory salami.

• Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
• Yield: 12 slices 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 160 g Savoiardi cookies, roughly chopped
• 30 g (2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
• 16 g (2 Tbsp) unsweetened cocoa
• 75 g unsalted butter, melted
• 30 ml (2 Tbsp) Marsala liquor, or Kahlua (or milk, for a kid-friendly option)
• 100 g dark chocolate (at least 51 % cacao)
• 1-2 tablespoon icing sugar (for decoration)

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Instructions

1. Roughly chop the Savoiardi cookies. You need bigger nuggets that will resemble the salami fat.
2. On a double boiler, water bath (Bain Marie) over low heat, melt the dark chocolate.
3. Add the chopped cookies to a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, cocoa, Marsala (or Kahlua, or milk), sugar and melted chocolate.
4. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until combined.
5. Pour the mixture onto a large piece of parchment paper and roll and stretch to give the form of a salami.
6. Twist ends to tighten and place it in the fridge to set for at least a couple of hours.
7. When set, take it out of the fridge, sprinkle icing sugar all over, and spread it with your hands.
   It makes a beautiful Christmas edible gift, with some baker's twine around and wrapped in brown paper.
8. Slice it in ¼ inch thick rounds. Use a very sharp, thin, knife, not serrated, or it will break the slice.

Notes

The total time includes the setting time in the fridge.

The cooking time is for the melting of the butter and the chocolate.

Chop the Savoiardi with a knife, you do not want to pulverize them in a blender, you need bigger chunks.

If you feel it's too dry to roll, add a little more liqueur or milk.

• Author: Nicoletta
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Sweets
• Method: No-bake
• Cuisine: Italian

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[This post is sponsored by The Italian Centre Shop. We’ve been compensated but -as always- all opinions are our own.]

Nicoletta

I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.