A special visitor came to our cooking class this week. My Brazilian friend Roberta’s mama was in town and offered to swing by and teach the children to make a Christmas treat. Sonia has a catering business of her own back in Sao Paulo, teaches within a program that helps low income teenagers become skilled workers within the hospitality industry, and is the mother of nine and the grandmother of nine.
She was greeted with open arms, especially after she explained to the children that they would be making something… chocolate.
This dish is very simple to make (and to eat for that matter), but it does include the use of raw eggs. If you have ANY qualms at all about that, then please just use an egg substitute instead.
Do you see the chocolate smiles we had? It was a wonderful day.
Chocolate Salami
*2 c. cocoa powder
*1 c. confectioner’s sugar
*3 sticks of butter (1 1/2 c)
*5-6 farm fresh eggs from free-range chickens (or substitute about 1/2 c egg substitute)
*1/2 c. pecans
*1 1/2 c. amaretti (Italian cookies) or crunchy butter cookies if you cannot find the amaretti
Crumble the amaretti into pieces about the size of chocolate chips (see photo). Crumble the pecans in the same way and mix them all together in one big bowl.
Separate the eggs. Show your Yummy how to crack the egg and then tip the yolk back and forth between the two halves. Make sure there are three medium sized bowls ready. One will catch all of the egg white, and the other will catch all of yolks. The third bowl will be at the ready for all the egg shells***.
In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter till light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to low and add the confectioner’s sugar first and then the cocoa powder. Add the egg yolks (save the whites for another use) one by one and beat well. Turn off the mixer, and pour in the amaretti and pecan mixture. Using a wooden spoon and a little elbow grease, fold the cookies and nuts into the chocolate mixture.
On a long slab of wax paper, place about half of the chocolate mixture in a line (not a blob). Roll the wax paper around it tightly so that there is no chance of the chocolate mixture leaking out or getting on little hands. Begin rolling the enclosed chocolate back and forth, sculpting it into a snack shape, about an inch and a half in diameter. Twist either end of the wax paper to seal it, and place the salami in the freezer. Repeat with the other half.
Freeze for at least an hour.
To serve, use a serrated knife to cut the salami into little slabs. Bon appetit!
***You will most likely have to do a lot of helping with this process. For two or three-year-olds, you must do it all with them. Four and five year olds might begin to be able to do it a bit if you crack the eggs for them.
