Chestnut Salami

Name: Chestnut Salami
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 600 g of Chestnuts; 2 leaves of Bay Leaves; Table Salt; 250 g of Plain Cookies; 80 g of Sugar; 60 g of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder; 40 ml of Whole Milk; 30 ml of Rum; 1 pinch of Cinnamon; Powdered Sugar

Chestnut salami: a no-bake fall dessert with chestnut puree, cocoa, plain cookies and rum. Easy, inexpensive and perfect for the season.

Difficulty Medium
Preparation 30 minutes
Cooking 25 minutes
Servings for 10 people

Chestnut salami is the fall version of the classic chocolate salami, one of the best-loved no-bake desserts of Italian home cooking. Here a puree of boiled chestnuts takes the place of butter and eggs, giving a soft, fragrant, naturally sweet mixture, enriched with unsweetened cocoa, crumbled plain cookies and a touch of rum.

Chestnuts, the emblematic fruit of hill and mountain woods, have starred in Italian country cooking for centuries: boiled with bay leaves, roasted as caldarroste or ground into flour for castagnaccio, a chestnut flour cake. This recipe is perfect for making the most of the seasonal harvest, perhaps after a family walk in the chestnut woods: all it takes is a few inexpensive ingredients, no oven and a few hours in the fridge to make a showstopping dessert to serve in slices.

Ingredients for 10 people

For cooking the chestnuts:
600 g of Chestnuts in their shells (about 400 g of flesh)
2 leaves of Bay Leaves
Table Salt for the cooking water to taste
For the mixture:
250 g of Plain Cookies
80 g of Sugar
60 g of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
40 ml of Whole Milk
30 ml of Rum
1 pinch of Cinnamon optional
To finish:
Powdered Sugar to taste

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Method

To make the chestnut salami, start by sorting the chestnuts: rinse them under running water and discard any with holes or bruises, a sign of pests.
Transfer the chestnuts to a pressure cooker, cover them with water, salt lightly and add the bay leaves. Close the lid and cook for about 25 minutes from when the cooker reaches pressure. Alternatively, you can boil them in a regular pot for 40-60 minutes.
Drain the chestnuts and let them cool just enough to handle: peel them while still warm, carefully removing the inner skin too, which would taste bitter and stringy in the mixture.
In a bowl, mash the chestnuts with a fork into a puree. Leave a few larger pieces: they will give the salami a more rustic, tempting look. Let it cool completely.
Put the puree in a large bowl and stir in the sugar, the sifted cocoa and, if you like, a pinch of cinnamon, mixing until the mixture is even.
Break the plain cookies roughly with your hands, leaving pieces of different sizes, and add them to the mixture.
Pour in the milk and the rum and mix everything well: the mixture should be firm but workable. If it is too dry, add an extra tablespoon of milk.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the work surface, place the mixture on it and, using the paper to help you, shape it into a salami, rolling it up tightly. Twist the ends like a candy wrapper.
Put the salami in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or in the freezer for about 1 hour if you are in a hurry, so it firms up.
When ready to serve, remove the paper, dust the surface generously with powdered sugar to recreate the look of a cured salami and cut into slices. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

You can enrich the mixture with 50 g of melted dark chocolate, chopped hazelnuts or chopped walnuts. Instead of plain cookies, try amaretti for a more aromatic note, or replace the rum with orange or coffee liqueur. For a lactose-free version, use a plant-based milk instead of milk.

Tips

To save time you can use vacuum-packed precooked chestnuts, blending them with the milk. Always sift the cocoa to avoid lumps. For clean slices, use a smooth-bladed knife run under hot water. If you are making it for children, replace the rum with the same amount of milk.

Storage

Chestnut salami keeps in the fridge, wrapped in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap, for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for about 1 month: let it thaw in the fridge for a few hours before serving and dust it with powdered sugar only at the last moment.