Taste of childhood time treats is something we remember all our lives and taste of “chocolate salami” is one of those “old time favorites”. While back during Soviet Union times, with all kinds of shortages and deficits of many common items and foods, having a full plate of sliced meat sausage on the dinner table was a sign of a material well-being of a family. Such table looked happy and respectable and hosts – welcoming and attentive. However, sometimes guests could stay only for a cup of tea. So how tea table could be without sausage? Name of “chocolate salami” inventor we will probably never know, but the recipe has taken its own rightful place in notebooks and cookbooks: cookies, butter or margarine, cocoa powder, sugar.
In the absence of modern food processors, cookies were simply ground into crumbs by hand, butter or margarine was melted and the availability of sweet concentrated milk was making everything to taste even better. The hardest part in cooking “chocolate salami” was the wait – “salami” were rolled into “loaves”, carefully placed in plastic bags and locked into a freezer overnight. In the morning, the final result was ready on the plate, chunks of reddish-brown slices of “shokoladnaya kalbaska” with small inclusions of cookie crumbs (looking like small dots of white fat on salami).
For more Russian recipes, visit Russian Cuisine page.

Chocolate Biscuit “Salami” with Walnuts & Rum (no bake) on cutting board
The proper dish name for “chocolate salami” has never been introduced by anyone, but variations of the recipe including nuts, honey, prunes, and even halva have become very popular. You can try to make this dessert while experimenting with various add-ons such as dry fruits or nuts. Serving this dessert is somewhat out of the ordinary – your guests will be surely happy! “Shokoladnaya Kalbaska” can be served with coffee or tea; it also goes well with after-dinner liqueur.

Chocolate Biscuit “Salami” with Walnuts & Rum (no bake) on brown paper and cutting board
Chocolate Biscuit "Salami" with Walnuts & Rum
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200g) tea biscuit or plain butter cookies (I used Breton crackers)
- 7 Tbsp. (100 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 1/2 oz.(100g) dark chocolate 50% cocoa ( I used Lindt)
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp. rum
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Break the cookies into small pieces. In a large bowl mix together cookies and chopped walnuts. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the navy cream and butter over low heat. Add the sugar and stir. Chop chocolate in small pieces and add to the hot butter-cream mixture. Stir until chocolate melts. Then add cocoa powder and rum, stir well to combine, set aside for few minutes to let the mixture cool slightly.
Add crushed biscuit-walnut mixture into the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly. The mixture will be thick and sticky. Using your hands, put the mixture on a piece of aluminum foil or wax paper and roll as a sausage.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. When ready to serve, unwrap the chocolate salami and lightly roll it in powdered sugar to give it a look of real aged salami. Slice and serve on a beautiful plate. If you have kids, they will love this dessert and they will definitely help you make it.
Inspired by Confessions of a Spoon

Chocolate Biscuit “Salami” with Walnuts & Rum (no bake) on a plate
18 Comments
Rosa's Yummy Yums
November 18, 2013 at 3:33 pmA lovely treat! Surely divine.
Cheers,
Rosa
rustykalna kuchnia
November 18, 2013 at 3:43 pmah, the Russian Mondays 🙂
Always amazes me the similarity between Polish and Russian recipes. It's only thanks to You, I see this so clearly 🙂 thanks Yelena 🙂
Beautiful "Шоколадная колбаса"
La Table De Nana
November 18, 2013 at 5:24 pmI have made a similar treat..but not nearly as perfectly portrayed:-)
Anonymous
November 18, 2013 at 7:23 pmYelena, I'd never heard of chocolate "salami" — what a treat! I also love your samovar in the background.
Rambling Tart
November 19, 2013 at 12:55 amThis is absolutely delightful. 🙂 What a clever and delicious recipe. 🙂
Elen Smirnova
November 19, 2013 at 6:44 amMy favouriiiiiiite!!!!!!!!
Shema George
November 19, 2013 at 2:10 pmWow- this sounds divine !!
Shema George
November 19, 2013 at 2:11 pmLove your food styling and pictures
elizabeth
November 19, 2013 at 2:52 pmThis looks wonderful! Can you tell me how long this lasts in the refrigerator or do you keep it frozen? I am thinking about making this as a gift for all my wine loving friends for Christmas. I love your presentation!
melangery
November 19, 2013 at 3:01 pmElizabeth, I made it for Thanksgiving and I am keep it in refrigerator. If you like to serve it on Christmas you will need to freeze it. On a day you serve take it from freezer to refrigerator. Serve cold, it's the best way.
Shibi Thomas
November 19, 2013 at 6:04 pmI definitely want to try these cookies for christmas. My kids love chocolate and I am sure they gonna be surpised!!
Meli
November 19, 2013 at 7:01 pmBeautiful pictures, Yelena! I'm sure everybody will like the recipe! Enjoy!
Little Z.
November 19, 2013 at 7:42 pmMmmmmm… this sounds delicious. I wonder how it would taste with Speculoos (Speculaas?) instead of the butter crackers.
melangery
November 19, 2013 at 7:51 pmLittle Z, you may use any crackers or tea biscuit. Speculoos are good enough! Let me know-)
Julia
November 22, 2013 at 8:48 pmWow, I vaguely remember having something like that very long time ago. What a cool concept, pinned!
Mabrey
April 12, 2015 at 11:03 pmDid you use Breton wheat crackers or the Breton Cabaret.
Anna
December 6, 2019 at 10:35 pmWhat kind of rum is best for this? dark or white?
Yelena Strokin
December 7, 2019 at 1:17 amI have used dark rum. But if you only have white – it will work too. Dark rum just has more flavors.