Italian Chocolate Salami

A chocolate salami makes a wonderful gift and a fabulous dessert. This recipe makes two large salami rolls. Keep refrigerated at all times.

250g dark chocolate, chopped

100g soft butter

150g caster sugar

3 large eggs

30ml vanilla

30ml cocoa powder

250g biscuits, e.g. ginger, Boudoir, Marie, Digestives

75g almonds, chopped

75g pecan nuts, chopped

50g pistachio nuts, shelled and chopped

15-30ml icing sugar, to decorate

Add the chopped chocolate to a heatproof glass bowl and place the bowl on a saucepan with about 5cm simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt completely and set aside to cool.

Bash the biscuits into chunks - do not make it too small, about 0,5cm pieces. Put aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together until soft and light.

Gradually, and one by one, beat in the eggs. Do not panic if the mixture looks as though it wants to split at this stage.

Add the vanilla and sieved cocoa powder to the cooled chocolate.

Now beat in the egg mixture and follow with the chopped nuts and crushed biscuits.

Transfer the bowl to the fridge so that the mixture can firm up. This should take about 30 minutes.

Cover your work surface with clingfilm.

Roll the mixture into two log shapes that resemble salami. Each should be about 30cm long.

Cover each log with clingfilm and roll it, as if it were a rolling pin, to create a smooth cylinder. Twist and tie the ends.

Put the logs into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, to set.

Take the salami out of the refrigerator and lay it on greaseproof paper. Rub some icing sugar over the outside and tie with string to give it an authentic look.

Serve straight from the fridge.