I love making small sweet treats at this time of year, to package up and give to neighbours + friends, or even just to surreptitiously snack on to keep the energy up as days get busier and busier.
This year, I tried making chocolate ‘salami’ again. I had tried it a few years ago and suspect I ate too much at the time and abandoned the recipe for a while! But it’s super easy to make and you can tailor the additions to suit your taste (or what you have already in the pantry). Once you’ve mixed all the ingredients together, you form a roll, wrap it in paper and refrigerate until firm. Then you only need to slice it very thinly to serve. This recipe makes two medium-sized rolls.
You could also make it vegan, I think, by using dairy-free chocolate and coconut cream, though I haven’t tried that yet.
Here is my recipe:
Chocolate salami
200 grams chocolate with a good percentage of cocoa solids (I used Whittaker’s Dark)
1/2 cup cream
50 grams butter
Place these three ingredients in a double boiler (or microwave-safe jug) and melt together slowly. Then stir until completely melted and smooth.
Now, add your choice of treats. I used:
200 grams dried cranberries (lightly chopped)
1 small box of rose-flavoured Turkish Delight, cut into thin slices
1/2 packet of plain biscuits (I used Milk Arrowroot), cut into small pieces
1 cup of mixed nuts, roughly chopped – I used pistachios, hazelnuts and cashews
A good splash of rosewater
Stir these additions into the chocolate mixture and mix together well. Place two pieces of waxed paper on a flat surface, wash your hands, then divide the mixture so you have half on each piece of paper. Use your hands to shape into a log, then roll up in the paper and twist the ends to secure.
Place chocolate logs in the fridge for at least a few hours or longer. When set, remove and roll in sieved icing sugar. Cut into thin slices and package for gifts, or serve up with a cup of black coffee.
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Other recipes for Christmas treats you might like:
Lucy Corry’s caramelised oat fudge (vegan or dairy option)
Apricot balls (vegan)
Pepperkake (gingerbread biscuits)
Shortbread squares
Fruit chutney
Lemon-barley syrup
Russian fudge
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