Salame al Cioccolato
Beatrice Scudeler
Salame al cioccolato is a no-bake dessert hailing from my motherland of Italy. It is a decadent, indulgent treat — fudgy from the chocolate mixture that makes up the bulk of this dessert, and crunchy from the broken-up cookies and nuts that are folded in. It is easy to put together (even very young kids can help) and a great make-ahead dessert, as it keeps well in the refrigerator. And it can be made just to your taste, as you can choose what kind of chocolate and nuts to use.
I have fond memories of eating it as a child in Italy, always made by my aunt. And as an adult, it has become one of my favorite desserts to make for new friends. While pregnant with my first child and living in Toronto, I made it for the family of a student of my husband’s. They were kind enough to welcome us into their community and model for us what a good marriage and family life looked like. Now that I’m living in Oxford, I’m making salame al cioccolato once again, for other new friends. It reminds me of fond childhood memories, but also of how much I’ve grown since my aunt used to make it for me. With my first child now a toddler, and another in tow, I hope it won’t be long before they can start helping me make it.
Salame al cioccolato is elegant enough to serve on a holiday table at Easter or Christmas (and often is in our home), but it also works extremely well as a post-holiday project: As I mentioned, the particular choice of ingredients is quite flexible, and leftover chocolate, cookies, nuts, and suchlike tend to abound at such times — salame offers them a lovely second go at life. So make it today, and invite some new (or old) friends over to bask in the chocolatey, post-holiday glow.
Salame al Cioccolato
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (or chocolate chopped up into small chunks)
2/3 cup room-temperature butter
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (plus extra for dusting)
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups broken-up graham crackers
2/3 cup hazelnuts, very roughly chopped
Melt chocolate. This is traditionally done with a double boiler: a heat proof bowl atop a pot of simmering water (but the microwave will work too; see note). For a double boiler, the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Place the chocolate in the top bowl and gently stir until just melted. Take off the heat and mix until completely smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a large separate bowl, place the room-temperature butter and confectioners’ sugar. Mix together with a wooden spoon.
Once the melted chocolate has reached room temperature, add to the butter-sugar mixture and stir with a spatula until smooth. (Do not attempt to add the chocolate while still hot, or it will melt the butter.)
Add the milk and fully incorporate. Gently fold in the graham cracker pieces along with the roughly chopped hazelnuts.
Lay out two pieces of plastic wrap, roughly 2-3 feet long, one on top of the other. Scoop the mixture into the center of the plastic wrap to form a log roughly a foot long. Fold the top and bottom of the plastic wrap over the log and twist the ends tightly. Roll the log gently on the counter to even out the shape.
Place in the fridge for an hour. Take the log out and roll it once again on the counter (still in its plastic wrap) to ensure an even shape all around. Place back in the fridge for another hour, preferably two.
Serving:
Take the salame al cioccolato out of the fridge an hour before serving to make cutting easier. Remove the plastic wrap and dust the salame with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into 1-inch slices with a sharp serrated knife and serve. The salame al cioccolato is now ready!
Store:
This salame al cioccolato is best stored in the fridge during the summer months. It will last around 5 days. In winter, it’s fine to keep out at room temperature for up to 2 days. Make sure to rewrap any leftovers in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
Notes:
If you prefer, put the chocolate chips or chopped-up chocolate into a medium-sized bowl, and place in the microwave for 30-second bursts, mixing with a spatula in-between, until the chocolate is evenly melted.
If you’re having trouble cutting the salame evenly, try running some hot water on your knife before slicing it.
The beauty of this recipe is that it’s very customizable. If you find dark chocolate too bitter, you can use a good quality milk chocolate instead (or even mix dark and milk in equal quantities). You can use espresso or any liqueur of your choice instead of the milk (rum is particularly delicious in this!). Similarly, any crunchy cookie you have on hand (post-holiday or otherwise) will work, as will pistachios or almonds, et cetera, instead of hazelnuts.
