Salame di cioccolato – chocolate salami

Salame di cioccolato served in a plate
I am all you need

This is the one cake that will hypnotise you. Salame di cioccolato is one of those simple and basic recipes that require no baking, and is lots of fun to make. You will need to read more to find out what the fun element is… It doesn’t get easier or tastier than this: a mix of biscuits and chocolate with a touch of rum. The smell and the taste…. awwww.

I have a personal attachment to salame di cioccolato. It was the cake my mum would make regularly for me to take to school parties or other school celebrations. As kids, we all used to find it hilarious that something sweet had the shape of savoury food. Just imagine the kind of jokes that would accompany its presentation: “Where have you left the bread?” “No cheese?” – and so on. Ha ha ha…

What I really treasure as a memory, though, is the time I would spend with my mum making it. The fun part for me was the violent one (not sure why?!): bashing the biscuits! And it is still the step that gives me most satisfaction – especially after a long and challenging day. It is so very therapeutic. You should try it!

We spend all our lives trying to be careful not to break that glass, that vase, that person’s heart, or the rules. And guess what? With this cake you can actually break something, without having anyone tell you off for doing something wrong. Not that I have ever broken anything serious in my life, of course… apart from my husband’s balls, I suppose! Anyway: PURE guiltless PLEASURE.

I feel there’s no need to tell you any more about salame di cioccolato to encourage you to make it. But I can tell you about last time I did. George was celebrating his patron saint’s day and I suggested he could take something nice to work to share with his colleagues. There is a tacit agreement: when I bake something for my colleagues or his, one slice, at the very least, will be kept aside for the other person. You might think that it is easy peasy… I’m not going to finish the end of the story, because by now you’ll have guessed it. So I just looked at the bright side: this salame di cioccolato was so good there was never going to be any left. You’ll see: you place it on a desk, turn your head for one minute, turn back and it’s all gone!

Salame di cioccolato is great for your afternoon break or as a post-dinner treat. It will not disappoint… but most importantly, it is highly recommended to bring out that shiny happy smile on the face of those you want to spoil. Seeing George jump up in excitement when I say the three magic words is priceless!

George thinking of salame di cioccolato and jumping in the air
Did someone say salame di cioccolato?

Ingredients for salame di cioccolato

Serves 8-10

  • 300g digestive biscuits (the original)
  • 200g baking dark chocolate
  • 100g butter
  • 2 medium-sized eggs
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rum

Extra

  • Icing sugar for dusting

Method

In a large bowl add the biscuits and reduce them to small pieces with a wooden spoon (or anything else you consider suitable for crushing biscuits). Placing the biscuits in a closed bag first can be helpful. Set aside.

Break the chocolate into smaller pieces (unless you are using chocolate chips). Chop the butter roughly.

In a small saucepan, add some boiling water. Cover it with a heatproof bowl. Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl.

On low heat start cooking gently the chocolate and the butter. Stir occasionally to amalgamate them well. When they are both melted and you obtained a smooth mix, turn the heat off and, wearing oven gloves, carefully move the bowl away from the pan. Add the rum and stir well. Let it rest to cool down.

salame di cioccolato: the melting business
A melting business

In a large bowl add the eggs and the sugar. Use a mixer (start with low speed and gradually increase to the maximum) to whip them until the mixture is smooth and pale yellow, and has increased its volume. This might take at least 5 minutes.

Add the chocolate and butter mixture to the eggs and sugar mix and mix everything well, to incorporate all ingredients, until you obtain a smooth batter.

salame di cioccolato: the whipping phase
Whipping and mixing

In the same bowl add the previously crushed biscuits and mix them to the batter using a spoon until all biscuits are well coated in chocolate.

Cut a large square of baking paper or kitchen foil. Pour the mixture onto it. Make the shape of a salami with your hands. Wrap the salami in the baking paper. Seal the edges of the kitchen paper as if it were a sweet.

salame di cioccolato: shaping and wrapping
Let’s get a bit messy now

Place the wrapped salami in the fridge for about 12 hours, or until firm. It will need to settle. When it is ready, unwrap it, place it on a serving plate, dust with icing sugar and cut yourself a good slice, to eat with bread and cheese. Oh wait, I’m getting confused here :-P. The famous great Italian sense of humour, I guess…

4 thoughts on “Salame di cioccolato – chocolate salami

  1. Mirella 10th March 2016 / 9:07am

    E’ buonissimo, lo preparavo sempre quando stavo all’università. E’ facile da fare ed è semplicemente squisito. Mi ricordo che ogni volta che avevo dei biscotti che non riuscivo a finire li utilizzavo per fare questo dolce e ci facevo colazione.

    • Mariacristina 10th March 2016 / 8:27pm

      Uno dei miei preferiti. Adorazione pure e semplice. Che bonta’! Lo rifaccio questo fine settimana per alcuni amici da cui andiamo a cena:-D

  2. vesna main 23rd March 2016 / 1:42pm

    Lovely. As a vegan, I tried the same recipe but without eggs and replaced the butter with margarine. Also, I left out sugar – for my taste digestives were enough – and it worked very well.

    • Mariacristina 23rd March 2016 / 1:47pm

      That’s great to hear you tried the recipe, Vesna. Thank you for getting in touch:-D I am so pleased that there is a way for vegans to enjoy this classic. Will update the blog and let people know it is a viable alternative.:-)

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