The Luxurious Italian Chocolate Treat For Your Next Charcuterie Board

Chocolate salami is a beloved mainstay in Italian and Portuguese cuisine. This cylindrical dessert sports a simple, solid outward appearance but slicing it into discs reveals an interior speckled with cookies, nuts, and luscious dried fruits. The variation in color is reminiscent of the cross section of a meat sausage, which helps explain how this dessert got its name.

This sweet yet savory salami is as worthy of placing center stage on a charcuterie board as its namesake, especially if you're breaking from the traditional composition of meat and cheese. You can still multiply your options with the rule of three on a dessert charcuterie board — the flavors and textures of this dessert will pair well with a variety of biscuits and fruit (fresh or dried).

The best thing about chocolate salami is it can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks. With a tight plastic wrapping and an extra layer of foil, you can freeze it for up to a month. Making chocolate salami at home is almost as easy as making three ingredient chocolate mousse. All you need is five ingredients: melted chocolate, vanilla tea biscuits, pistachios, unsalted butter, and heavy cream.

The first step to making chocolate salami is to melt the chocolate with hot heavy cream and unsalted butter into a ganache. Once smooth, mix in crushed tea biscuits, chopped nuts, and other toppings to make this dish uniquely yours. While almonds and a pinch of salt can fill in, salted, roasted, and shell-free pistachios add the perfect flavor and texture variation. Don't skip out on quality chocolate chips if you want the chocolate salami to come out as delectable as possible — and make sure it's the right type of chocolate for the job.

Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed, then set it into plastic wrap and roll it into a sausage shape. After tying both ends, the chocolate salami should be refrigerated until solid — the refrigeration process takes approximately four hours. It's important to note that the more layers of plastic are added, the more likely the salami is to retain its shape. With just a quick roll through powdered sugar, the chocolate salami is ready to be sliced and enjoyed.