Author Notes
I had my first chocolate salami in 8th grade, my friend Eliza lived on the other side of Union Square park and on the way to her house we would often pass through the farmarket, and there was a lady there who sold chocolate salami - it was chocolate filled with chunks of tea biscuits, and I was so enamored with them that I made some myself. It was one of the first things I "cooked" without a real recipe.
Fast forward a hundred years or so to last summer when I was doing desserts for an Italian place and I remembered the chocolate salami of my youth (that's what she said). In recreating the recipe I took the elements of a classic Italian "dessert" espresso, Sambuca and amaretti cookies and incorporated those flavors adding candied ginger for a bit of chew and pistachios as much for flavor as for aesthetics. I add white chocolate chunks to mimic the fat in regular salami.
I like to serve this with crostini drizzled with excellent olive oil and a bit of salt plus a dollop or two of marmalade (orange, grapefruit, ginger). This makes a great gift as well--in it's uncut state (geez) it looks just like a salami- especially if you don't get too perfectionist about it been smooth and let it stay a bit crinkly.
There are other more traditional recipes that include eggs, I find that including raw egg adds an element of danger that is unnecessary, and these keep longer and safer without it.
Food52'er Zindc reminded me of a substitute for the dear and expensive fennel pollen " Since it's there mostly for flavor, lightly toasted and finely ground fennel seeds might be a workable substitute."
—Aliwaks
Ingredients
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1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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1/4 cup
cooled brewed espresso
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2 tablespoons
Sambuca or better yet Meletti Annisette
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1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
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6 tablespoons
butter (I use salted because I like desserts with salt)
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12 ounces
good bittersweet chocolate, I like Callebaut & Valharona but just get thebest you can get your hands on
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1/2 cup
pistachios- roasted salted & shelled
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1/4 cup
chopped candied ginger (cut in brunoise)
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1/4 cup
white chocolate chunks (not chips) - or coarse chopped white chocolate
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1/4 cup
Espresso beans- toasted in a pan for a few minutes till fragrant
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1 cup
broken but not crushed amaretti cookies
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1/2 cup
powdered sugar
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1 teaspoon
fennel pollen (optional)
Directions
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Set a pot of water to a simmer to create a double boiler
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In a small bowl combine coffee, Sambuca, vanilla extract & cinnamon
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Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, that fits easily over the pot, cover with plastic wrap
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Place over pot of simmering water and allow to melt (about 5-6 minutes)
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Stir chocolate & butter until smooth
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Add coffee mixture and continue to mix until combined and smooth
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Remove from heat – add cookies pieces, nuts, coffee beans, white chocolate and candied ginger
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Stir to combine
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Let cool slightly
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Cover a cookie sheet with plastic wrap
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Scoop ¼ of the cooled chocolate mixture on to plastic and roll into a log
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Roll log up in plastic and twist ends & tie to secure
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Repeat with remaining
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Refrigerate about 1 hr or more or if you are in a hurry you can freeze for about 20 minutes
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Whisk fennel pollen into powdered sugar
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Un wrap salami- roll in powdered sugar mixture
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Brush off excess with brush or hand
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Serve with sliced with slices of olive oil brushed crostini and marmalade. These make a super cute gift—I wrap them with string just like a salami, then wrap in butcher paper .
IF you want o make this gluten free substitute toasted rice krispies for the Amaretti-- I use them when I make the Elvis version with dried banana, bacon, peanut butter chips & bourbon - which is really pretty amazing.
My Aunt Sandy adds a bit of spice to hers, she uses Ancho- I've used Urfa-- it not a bad addition.
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