With a rich and smooth blend of chocolates, fragrant toasted nuts, vanilla biscuits, and a fun presentation, a chocolate salami is a guaranteed hit for Christmas or any celebration. This no-bake Italian chocolate delicacy is simpler to make than you might think, and can be prepared ahead of time (or frozen) for easy entertaining.
Try as I might I can't remember where I first saw chocolate salami on a dessert table, but I do know it left a big impression because I'm still thinking about it all these years later.
A popular no-bake holiday dessert in a variety of cuisines (Italian, Portuguese, and more), chocolate salami is essentially a thick and firm, butter-enriched log of chocolate ganache packed with chopped sweet biscuit cookies and toasted nuts, all coated with powdered sugar and cut into slices for serving.
Some variations feature a base of butter and cocoa powder (no melted chocolate), others replace or supplement the cream with a variety of liquids: fortified wines, Amaretto liqueur, eggs, etc. It's my preference to make a simple version agreeable to everyone at Christmastime - no alcohol or raw egg.
Though no matter which iteration, contrary to its name, chocolate salami contains no meat. Rather the light-colored biscuit pieces and nuts resemble the white chunks of fat within actual salami, while the powdered sugar coating mimics the traditional powdery white mold added during the curing process.
This chocolate salami recipe is one to keep in mind around the winter holidays. I love that it's something different to serve alongside all those tasty Italian Christmas cookies this time of year: anise cookies, pizzelle, pignoli cookies, florentines, sesame cookies...too many to name!
Recipe Ingredients
- Biscuits: Dry, crisp tea biscuit pieces make up most of the light "fat" areas of the salami. They won't crumble up into dust and aren't very sweet on their own - they're like a vanilla-forward animal cracker. In large U.S. grocery stores you can often find these in the international foods aisle. If not available, plain digestive biscuits have a similar texture/feel.
- Nuts: Several can work, including hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, and walnuts. Or a mix! I highly recommend toasting them before chopping so their flavors are more pronounced.
- Chocolate: This can vary based on personal preference. My favorite is to use three-quarters semisweet chocolate (56% cacao) and one-quarter dark chocolate (72% cacao). This gives us an average of 60% cacao for the chocolate salami as a whole, which lands right in bittersweet chocolate territory, so use what makes sense for you. Keep in mind there is no separately added sugar (beyond the amount in the biscuits and thin coating) so using all or predominantly all dark chocolate may lean too bitter for many palates.
- Cream: Essential for ganache, heavy cream softens the chocolate and provides a smooth, rich texture. Heavy cream has milkfat content between 36-40%.
- Butter: Not always used in chocolate ganache, butter is added here to help soften and stabilize the chocolate and make it easier for slicing into cohesive rounds. I use unsalted butter in baking/sweet recipes so I will also add a small pinch of sea salt here. If you prefer using salted butter, leave out the added salt.
- Powdered Sugar: For coating the exterior to help give this chocolate delicacy its signature salami look. Also known as confectioners' sugar or icing sugar.
A Note on Pre-Roasted Nuts
If using store-bought roasted nuts, they may still benefit by a brief toasting in the oven before use in this recipe if they don't seem very fragrant or golden-brown. I like to use Trader Joe's roasted/unsalted hazelnuts in chocolate salami, and there's a noticeably impactful (and delicious) difference in this recipe if I give them an 8-10 minute toast in the oven until fragrant - even though the package says they're roasted.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Chop the tea biscuits and toasted nuts and give them a shake in a wire mesh strainer to separate out and discard the dust.
- Step 2: Add chopped chocolate, cubed butter, and cream to a microwave-safe bowl (or set up a double boiler if you prefer).
- Step 3: Heat the chocolate/butter/cream on half-power for 30 seconds, then in 10 second bursts after, stirring well after each time until just becoming completely smooth.
- Step 4: Transfer ganache mixture to a larger bowl if needed, then stir in the salt, then the chopped biscuit pieces and nuts until thoroughly coated.
- Step 5: Turn out mixture onto a large sheet of parchment paper and arrange in a rough horizontal log shape.
- Step 6: Fold the bottom of the parchment sheet up and over the log, using your hands to scrunch it around the mixture and condense and compress it evenly.
- Step 7: Wrap the parchment fully around the log, then wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap. Twist the ends in opposite directions to firmly condense it and ensure a round shape.
- Step 8: Chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours until very firm. Unwrap and sift powdered sugar over all sides of the log, brushing/rubbing it in until fully coated. Slice into rounds to serve.
Rolling and Shaping Chocolate Salami
My #1 tip on achieving a nice, rounded cylinder is after rolling up the parchment paper snugly around the salami, twist the end sections (like a taffy wrapper) in opposite directions to condense and tighten the log between. This will eliminate air pockets, help force a rounded shape, and result in nice, dense slices.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Sift for a smooth appearance. It's inevitable that tiny crumbs will form after chopping the tea biscuits and nuts. While not 100% necessary, I give the chopped biscuits and nuts a shake or two in a large mesh sieve to sift out the smallest bits of "dust" for a clean appearance.
- Maintain a round shape while chilling. Place the chocolate salami on a soft, clean dish towel in the fridge to help prevent the bottom side from flattening out. Then after the first 15 minutes of chilling, take it out and give it another roll on the counter to eliminate any angles from settling. Sometimes I'll do this once more, in another 10 minutes, to be extra sure.
- Refrigerate for best results. Chocolate salami is just fine to be served on a cookie tray or dessert table (the texture may soften slightly) but store it otherwise in the refrigerator to keep the shape crisp and precise. Plus it tastes wonderfully chilled!
- Achieve clean slices. Use a sharp chef's knife, and be mindful of the temperature. If you're removing a log from the freezer, let it sit out at room temperature briefly to take the chill off and prevent splintery slices.
More Italian Recipes for the Holidays
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Chocolate Salami
Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups (4 ounces, 113g) chopped tea biscuits
- ⅔ cup (2.6 ounces, 74g) coarsely-chopped toasted hazelnuts or other nuts
- 6 ounces (about about 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons, 170g) chopped semisweet chocolate
- 2 ounces (about ⅓ cup, 57g) chopped dark chocolate
- 6 Tablespoons (3 ounces, 85g) unsalted butter cubed (or salted)
- ¾ cup (6 ounces, 180 ml) heavy cream
- Pinch of fine sea salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 3 Tablespoons (24g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Chop the tea biscuits and hazelnuts, then place in a large mesh sieve. Shake to remove out and discard tiny "dust" pieces. This is an optional step, but makes for a cleaner appearance once assembled.
- Add the chopped semisweet and dark chocolates, butter, and cream to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on half-power for 30 seconds, then (if needed) in 10 second bursts after that, stirring well after each time until smooth. You can also do this step with a double boiler set up on the stovetop.
- Transfer the melted ganache mixture to a larger bowl and stir in the salt, then the chopped tea biscuits and hazelnuts until thoroughly and evenly coated.
- Turn out the mixture onto a large (larger than you think you'd need) sheet of parchment paper into a rough log shape horizontal to you.
- Fold the bottom half of the parchment up and over the chocolate log and use this piece wrapped over to snugly scrunch the log into a rounded, dense, and even shape the whole way through. Use a spoon if needed to poke in the ends to condense the mixture there to eliminate air bubbles and empty space within.
- One you've condensed the chocolate mixture into as round and as dense log as you can, wrap the rest of the parchment around it and place the wrapped log on a large sheet of plastic cling wrap. Wrap it snugly in the plastic wrap, then twist the ends in alternate directions as best you can (like a taffy candy wrapper). This is key in really forcing the mixture into a nice and condensed cylinder shape. Roll the salami on the counter a few times to eliminate any edges
- Place the wrapped chocolate salami onto a soft dish towel in the refrigerator and set a timer for 15 minutes. At that time remove it from the fridge and give it a few good rolls on the counter to smooth out any edges once again. Place it back in the refrigerator and check on it again in 10 minutes to see if this step is necessary again (not usually, for me). Chill the chocolate salami for at least 6 hours.
- Once the chocolate salami is very firm, unwrap it and dust the surface area with powdered sugar shaken through a fine mesh sieve, brushing and/or rubbing it in for a full coat. Slice into rounds with a sharp chef's knife or an equivalent and serve. Store refrigerated.
Notes
- Chocolate: There's wiggle room if you'd like to adjust the ratio of dark to semisweet, substitute in bittersweet, etc.
- Nuts: Even store-bought toasted nuts (like hazelnuts) may benefit by a brief toasting at home to help enhance the flavor and aroma.
- Freezing: Chocolate salami can be frozen in its wrapped state. Let it sit out at room temperature to take the chill off before slicing for smooth sailing.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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