It happened again  This time I want you to pay attention! ?

Chocolate salami is a Portuguese and Italian dessert made from dark chocolate, broken cookies, butter, eggs and a bit of port wine or rum. The dessert became popular across Europe and elsewhere, often losing alcohol as an ingredient along the way.

Well, if I have my way (and I almost always do), this Portuguese-Italian version of chocolate refrigerator cake will not lose the rum ~ secret ingredient ~ along the way.

Chocolate salami is not a meat product. The appellation “salami” stems from physical resemblance. Like salami, chocolate salami is formed as a long cylinder and is sliced across into discs for serving. These discs are a brown, chocolaty matrix (like the red meat of salami) peppered with bright bits of cookie (like the white flecks of fat in salami). In Portugal, they are typically made using Marie biscuit. Some varieties also contain chopped nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts and may be shaped like truffles.

My first introduction to this amazing “cookie log” of chocolate salami was at a farmer’s market in my beloved city of Portland. Olympic Provisions, in fact, famous for their own meat salami,  included this week in the smorgasbord of little tastings.
Not to be outdone by Olympic Provisions, or anyone for that matter, my replication amps up the intensity of flavor and elemental depth with…you guessed…cold brew coffee.

Chocolate Salami

2 extra large (or 4 small) plain biscotti cookies, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped 
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
6 Tbs. butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (use GOOD chocolate)
2 Tbs. cold brew coffee
2 Tbs. rum
1/2- 1 cup powdered sugar
Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl and place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 6 minutes. Alternatively, melt the two together in a the microwave, checking every minute to ensure nothing burns.
Stir in the coffee and rum until smooth. Add the almonds, walnuts, and biscotti pieces, and stir until combined.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate until firm but moldable, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Divide the chocolate mixture in half. Place 1/2 the mixture in the center of long piece of plastic wrap. Using a spatula, form the mixture into a log. Roll up the log in the plastic and twist the ends to seal. Roll back and forth on a work surface a few times to make the log evenly round. Repeat with the remaining chocolate mixture. Refrigerate the logs until firm, about 1 hour.
Spread powdered sugar evenly on parchment paper. Remove the plastic wrap from the logs, then roll them in the sugar until coated. Using a pastry brush, brush away the excess sugar. Let the logs sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve.