In a large bowl combine crushed cookies, hazelnuts, candied ginger, and dried pineapple. Sprinkle the cocoa powder over the mixture, especially over the sticky bits of ginger and pineapple. Toss to coat mixture with cocoa powder and to ensure mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Bring about 2 inches of water in a small saucepan to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Fit a heatproof bowl, slightly larger than the saucepan being used, onto the barely simmering pot of water. Ensure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Place the finely chopped chocolate, butter, the Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar, and heavy cream into the bowl. With a heatproof spatula, stir until sugar is melted. Carefully remove the bowl from the pot. Wipe the condensation from the bottom of the bowl. Stir in vanilla extract, orange zest, and salt until mixture is smooth.
Pour chocolate over the dry ingredients and mix until chocolate mixture is evenly distributed throughout. Place into fridge to firm up; 25 minutes.
Divide mixture in half and place half of the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper in the rough shape of a log. With hands or a rubber spatula, pat mixture into a log about 1½ to 2 inches in diameter and approximately 10 to 11 inches in length. Roll the dough up in the parchment paper, twisting the ends to seal. Roll the log a few times on a flat work surface to ensure a round cookie. Repeat process with remaining dough. Place “salami” into the fridge to chill and firm up; 2 hours or overnight.
Unwrap the chilled logs and dust with the Redpath® Icing Sugar. With a pastry brush or fingers, carefully remove any excess icing sugar. Allow the chocolate salami to come to room temperature; about 15 minutes.
With a sharp knife, carefully slice logs into ¼- to ½-inch slices.
Logs can be kept in the fridge, wrapped well and placed into an airtight container for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.
*Ensure ingredients are at room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
*Digestive or tea cookies can be used in place of the vanilla wafer cookies.
*When crushing cookies, ensure you have a range of sizes but not too small as you want to see the flecks in the salami.
*Change up the flavour by switching out the hazelnuts with pistachios, cashews, almonds, or peanuts.
*The candied ginger and dried pineapple can be omitted and an additional amount of cookies or hazelnuts can be used instead; alternatively, use any dried fruit to complement the season (example: dried cranberries during the fall/winter)
*Remove as much of the papery skins from the hazelnuts as possible after toasting, as they may leave a bitter aftertaste.
