It has been too much time since I have posted a dessert recipe, and it seems absurd to me how can I possibly have left out for so long the recipe of one of the most popular Italian dessert (after tiramisu obviously!)! The treat all the kids used to find at the birthday parties, the perfect one for tea time or just for a sweet break in the afternoon. This is the “chocolate salami” (Salame al cioccolato): a salami made of cookies and cocoa, that looks very like a real one, and tastes of an intense chocolate flavor. The recipe I am sharing today is the one that belonged to my family since forever, but I wouldn’t be surprised if other Italian families would use different quantities or ingredients!    In my opinion the reasons why this treat is so popular in Italy are probably because it is easy to be made,  no baking needed, few ingredients, and the possibility of keeping it in your refrigerator for many days (good luck with that! In my house it doesn’t see the day after 😉 ), or to be frozen without loosing anything in consistency or taste.   This year I decided to make this for our traditional “neighborhood Christmas cookies exchange” and I am pretty trustful it will be a hit!   Plus, I admit I haven’t tried yet (but I will!), I believe this could be a perfect base for a “Christmas log cake” for Christmas day!

INGREDIENT FOR ONE BIG CHOCOLATE SALAMI

2 and 1/2 packs (500 gr.) Liebeniz cookies (or Petit Bureau, or Oro Saiwa)

1 stick (100 gr.) softened unsalted butter1 cup (200 gr.) granulated white sugar

1 and 1/3 cups (100 gr.) dark (unsweetened) cocoa

3 eggs(separated)

2 tsp. Rum Flavoring

Aluminum foil to shape the salami

DIRECTIONS

I know, this is the annoying part: crumble the cookies in little pieces, without turning them floury (this is why I suggest not to use the food processor). If you can resist to eat half of the cookies  pack in the meanwhile, you are my hero!

In a bowl, mix the sugar and the butter until creamy (you can use an electric whip). then the egg yolks and the Rum aroma, and finally the cocoa powder.

Then the egg yolks and the Rum aroma, and finally the cocoa powder.

Whip the eggs white until stiff and add to the cocoa batter.

Finally add to the mix the crumbled cookies. Stir very well to mix evenly the cocoa batter and the crumbled cookies.

Spread the mix in an aluminum foil, trying to give the shape of a loaf.

If you prefer you can also make two smaller loaves instead of a big one.

Refrigerate a couple of hours before serving.LEARNT IT, MADE IT, LOVED IT!

TIPS: – I’ve tried the recipe using Graham Crackers instead of butter cookies. I tell you: the taste was equally good, only thing,  once sliced the chocolate salami slices tends to dry up too much. So, if you decide to use Graham Crackers to make this recipe, make sure that you cut the salami right before serving it, and only the exact number of slices requested. If kept in a loaf and in the aluminum foil, the salami will anyway last days in your refrigerator.

– I know that adding Rum aroma would make you think  kids would not like this treat, but I think that just a couple of tsp. would take away the aftertaste of raw eggs, and would not bother the little ones. On the opposite, if you don’t mind the Rum taste, you can decide to use pure Rum in a few tbs…. You’ll get a “just grown up” dessert!

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Much thanks,

Silvia