Central Texas Wine Guild

Salame Dolce or Sweet Chocolate Log

A traditional Italian dish, thin slices of this rich treat are great with an after-dinner espresso. Crushed vanilla wafers give it the mottled look of salami. Because the wafers are coarsely crushed, the pieces will vary greatly in size. Since the mixture is uncooked, use a pasteurized egg yolk (look for cartons of pasteurized egg yolks or pasteurized in-shell eggs).

1/3 cup sugar
1 large pasteurized egg yolk
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon Marsala wine* [see note]
1 tablespoon hot water
2 teaspoons grated orange rind (optional)
20 reduced-calorie vanilla wafers, coarsely crushed

Place sugar and egg yolk in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed for 3 minutes or until thick and pale. Beat in honey and butter. Add cocoa, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in wine, water, orange rind, if desired, and wafers.
Spoon mixture onto a sheet of wax paper using a rubber spatula (mixture will be stiff). Using moist hands, shape mixture into a 6-inch log. Wrap log tightly with plastic wrap; chill at least 1 hour. Cut log into 1/2-inch-thick slices.*

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

CALORIES 178 (28% from fat); FAT 5.5g (sat 2.6g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.3g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 41mg; CALCIUM 32mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35g; SODIUM 68mg; PROTEIN 3.7g; FIBER 4.8g

*Note from kcd: Modifications:
I used Port, a darker than typical cocoa, fewer cookies, and since we were going to be outside, I also rolled it in finely chopped pecans. I would think pistachios would be excellent, but I had pecans on hand.

Comments:
The dough is very stiff and sticky. I would think that you would need a stand mixture. I am not sure that my hand mixer could handle it.

This was very easy, and took about 15 minutes to complete. I believe it will keep for a while in the fridge. I also thought that the slices were better when fairly thin, not ½ inch.