Recipe for a Delicious Chocolate Salami

February is the month of romance, and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious chocolate recipe? This easy recipe is sure to make your mouth water and some hearts melt. Complete with a sweet chocolate taste and a fabulous, nutty crunch, this recipe has something for everyone. Perfect for a family, a date or even to just enjoy with friends, this is a dessert that always tastes great. Enjoy the fresh, chocolatey goodness!

Chocolate Salami

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (try to use a high grade chocolate)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (Ghirardelli is suggested)

¼ cup boiling water

¼ cup chopped, unsalted pistachios

½ cup raw, whole hazelnuts

½ cup toasted, sliced almonds, finely chopped

2 ounces plain cookies, such as biscotti or butter cookies, crushed into coarse chunks

4 large egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon grappa or rum (optional)

Zest of 1 orange (optional)

In a double boiler or pot and a metal bowl, melt chocolate and butter. Whisk to combine and place in a warm spot once they are completely melted.

In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa into the boiling water and set aside.

Coarsely chop hazelnut and place in a medium bowl. Add chopped pistachios, almonds and crumbled cookies.

Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar together until pale and thick (about 1 minute). Beat in the grappa and orange zest (I omitted the orange zest and rum as my family loves the pure chocolate flavor and it was delicious as well!). Whisk the cocoa mixture into the melted chocolate and butter, then add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well combined.

Add the nuts and cookies and briefly combine all the ingredients together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Now comes the fun part! Lightly dust your surface with powdered sugar.

Place the refrigerated mixture on counter and, using your hands, roll mixture into a plump log, about 2–3 inches in diameter to resemble a salami. Lightly dust the log with more powdered sugar and wrap in a sheet of parchment paper and twist ends of paper. Chill salami for 2 or more hours before serving. This could be made a day ahead.

To serve, cut salami on a bias and serve with vanilla gelato. This will most certainly wow your guest!!

Serves 10

Jodi Abel is a chef who teaches high–end, team–building cooking classes out of her beautiful home in La Jolla. She has hosted cooking classes for large Fortune 500 companies such as LensCrafters and Elsevier. For more recipes or to learn about how you can cook with Jodi Abel, visit her website.