Have you ordered your Valentines?  Is your house covered in pink construction paper hearts?  I hope so. 

Valentine’s Day is February’s gift to us.  It’s our excuse to cheer ourselves up with chocolate and pretty flowers as we trudge through the grey, rainy days of winter. 

Maybe chocolate salami does not scream romance to you, but allow me to share my logic.  Men like robust, cured meats and ladies like chocolate; those two come together and make chocolate salami.  Still weird?  Just bear with me.

When this beautiful, canvas-bound book arrived in the mail I immediately dove into Elias Cairo's story and fell in love.  Witty, charming, and surprisingly humorous, this book does not take itself too seriously, even if it does talk about food safety and, you know, processing meat.

It's chocked full of solid, inspiring recipes, and will have you making your own pate and sausage in no time, but it’s never a bad idea to begin with dessert.

I should preface this recipe by saying that yes, it does have egg yolks, and no, it does not come into contact with the stove.  However, the yolks will eventually be muddled with hot, melted chocolate which will make them just as safe for consumption as a poached egg.  

Just take a moment to appreciate this with me.  Meat mongers dreamed up a dessert where rich, wine-scented, spiced chocolate meets toasted nuts, ginger, and oh yes, crushed potato chips.  You cannot go wrong here. 

Ben and Jerry are likely already working on turning this into an ice cream flavor. 

I would not boast that this creation has a “best part,” but one of my favorite parts is the fact that as it goes under the guise of “salami,” we can easily serve it as an appetizer.  That means we can sneakily have two courses of chocolate rather than one.  

And, because the chocolate flavor is tempered by the additions of salty nuts and rich wine, this can truly pass as a savory offering.  

The salami can be made a couple days in advance and stowed away in the freezer to save you a bit of prep time on the special day.  Just be sure to pull it out about twenty minutes before you intend on serving it, so that it is sliceable.

I know, this is not red velvet, or pink, or anything like the numerous cutesy treats that are currently dominating your Pinterest feed, but it is truly superb, and something I believe your sweetheart will find surprising and delightful.

Let's treat our sweethearts to something new this year.  

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

This post was in partnership with Blogging for Books.  As always, all opinions are my own.  

Chocolate Salami

makes three, 10-inch logs / adapted slightly from Olympic Provisions

• 1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds 
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts 
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds 
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, 70%
• 4 egg yolks 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder 
• 1 teaspoon orange zest 
• 1/2 cup red wine, such as Merlot or Cabernet 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon round nutmeg 
• 1/2 cup candied ginger, diced finely 
• 1/2 cup thick potato chips, crushed finely
• confectioner’s sugar 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare an 8x8 baking pan by greasing it with nonstick spray.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and arrange the nuts and pumpkin seeds in a single, even layer on the sheet.  Bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 12 minutes.  Set aside. 

Combine chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at thirty second increments, stirring after each, until melted.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and brown sugar thoroughly until the yolks have thickened slightly and the mixture looks uniform.  Whisk in cocoa powder, orange zest, wine, and spices.  

Fold in melted chocolate and whisk quickly, so that the chocolate does not cause the eggs to separate.  Add toasted nuts, candied ginger, and potato chips and fold together until the mixture is well combined. 

Fold the mixture into the prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to spread it out evenly.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes, until firm.  

Cut the firmed chocolate mixture into three equal pieces.  Dust a work surface lightly with confectioner’s sugar and roll each piece into a 10-inch log.  Wrap the logs in parchment paper and freeze for five minutes before serving, or until ready to use.  Slice at an angle, into 1/4-inch slices.  Enjoy!

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