Chocolate Salami

Chocolate Salami

Have you ever tried Chocolate Salami?  Don’t worry there’s no actual salami involved in the recipe.  When I first heard about this dessert I thought it might be an extension of the whole chocolate covered bacon craze that seems to be sweeping the globe.  One day I’m going to try that one and let you know what I think. This recipe only looks like salami.  It’s actually a rich chocolate ganache with crushed cookies, nuts and pretzel bits stirred in.  It can really be personalized to suit your own tastes.  In the video tutorial I used an orange chocolate and Bailey’s Irish cream to give it a real holiday feel.

I’m planning  serve this on a cutting board next to a block of white chocolate fudge and maybe some butterscotch fudge to complete the illusion of some cheese next to the salami.  Oh and maybe I could pile up some small biscotti that might resemble crostini.  I like where this is going. It will definitely make a nice impact on the dessert table among the spritz cookies, gingerbread and whatever other confections I have time to execute before the guests arrive.         

Chocolate Salami

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ingredients:

• 12 oz dark chocolate
• ½ cup butter (1 stick, diced)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup Bailey’s Irish cream
• 7 oz gluten free shortbread cookies crushed ( I used Schar)
• 2 oz gluten free pretzels (about 2 cups prior to crushing)
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped

Video Tutorial:  

Instructions:

1. In a large heat-safe bowl add the dark chocolate, butter, heavy cream and Irish cream  and place the bowl over a saucepan filled about an inch or so with gently simmering water and leave it for a few minutes.
2. Crush the cookies, pretzels and walnuts until they are about ¼ - ½ inch pieces.  It’s best to do them all separately.
3. Once you observe significant melting with the chocolate mixture ( about 60%) take the bowl off the heat and begin to mix it, stirring gently until it’s well blended and smooth. 
4. Stir in the crushed cookies, walnuts and pretzels until well combined then refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to make it easier to form into logs.
5. For three smaller logs, spoon 1/3 of the chocolate mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap then use the wrap itself to help you roll it into a log.  It might take a couple of minutes to finesse this into the shape you want.  And when it looks pretty good twist the ends, & roll it tight and rolling it on the table a few times tightens it up and gives it an even better shape.  Then add a second piece of plastic to add a little more structure.
6. Repeat the process to form 2 more logs then refrigerate at least overnight to firm up and allow the cookies and pretzels to soften.
7. To serve this, place it on a plate and dust it on all sides with confectioner’s sugar then brush off the excess sugar to complete the illusion.  Slice with a sharp knife and serve. 

Notes:   

1. If you don’t want to add alcohol you could replace the Irish cream with an equal measure of heavy cream.
2. For those concerned about the whether or not Bailey’s Irish Cream is gluten free, the following information was copied and pasted from the Bailey's website http://www.the-baileys-lounge.baileys...

“Gluten:  The ingredients used in Baileys are Gluten free. On the basis of this and to the best of our knowledge there are no traces of Gluten in Baileys. As we are not qualified to give medical advice persons requiring a Gluten free diet should consult their medical adviser before consuming Bailey.”