Cookie salami, recipe with powdered milk

My daughter discovers the desserts with sleepy eyes, early in the morning, after I leave them in the box on the shoes. I wanted something that would spark her curiosity at first glance, so I made a version of biscuit salami that can be cut and shaped like cookies. I tested several mixtures to ensure the base is firm enough, won't crumble, and can withstand cutting.

Quick Info

Total time: 1 hour + cooling
Servings: 14-16 cut pieces (depends on shape)
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

For the biscuit salami base:
- 300 g plain biscuits (Petit Beurre or similar)
- 300 g sugar
- 120 g butter (preferably clarified for taste, but regular works too)
- 60 g cocoa
- 90 g roasted nuts and almonds (you can choose the ratio, I use about half and half)
- 140 ml whole milk
- Bourbon vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- Rum essence (1 teaspoon, optional)
- 3-4 tablespoons milk powder (can be adjusted)

For the decorative milk powder paste:
- 5 tablespoons honey or jam syrup (simple syrup works too)
- milk powder (approximately 120-150 g, added gradually)

For decoration (optional):
- food coloring (gel or liquid, for those who want colorful decorations)

Instructions

1. Lightly roast the nuts and almonds in a non-stick pan without oil. I stir constantly; it takes about 3-4 minutes. When they start to smell toasted and pop slightly, I take them off the heat. I let them cool and chop them with a knife, not too finely.
2. I crush the biscuits in a food processor until I achieve a medium-fine texture. I don’t let them turn to dust, but they shouldn't be in large pieces either. I transfer them to a large bowl and mix them with the chopped nuts.
3. I heat 72 ml of milk (from the 140 ml) and dissolve the cocoa in it. It will turn into a thick paste; it doesn’t need to be completely fluid.
4. Separately, in a saucepan, I put the remaining 68 ml of milk with the sugar. I boil it over medium heat, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves. I continue for another 2-3 minutes until the liquid is slightly thickened, but I don’t let it go too long to avoid crystallization when cooling.
5. I add the cubed butter and mix until it completely melts.
6. From the resulting syrup, I pour a little at a time over the cocoa paste to thin it out. Once it becomes fluid, I pour all the cocoa into the saucepan and let it simmer for a few more moments. I turn off the heat.
7. I add the vanilla extract and, if I want, a bit of rum essence.
8. I pour all the syrup over the mixture of biscuits and nuts. I mix well with a spoon. The texture will be quite crumbly at first.
9. I start kneading directly in the bowl, gradually adding milk powder (3-4 tablespoons). I mix for 5-7 minutes until it becomes a coherent, malleable dough, but not sticky or wet. If it crumbles, I add a bit more milk powder or a few tablespoons of milk as needed.
10. I line a tray (20x20 cm or a loaf pan) with plastic wrap. I spread the mixture into a layer about 1.5 cm thick, leveling it well with a spatula and pressing gently.
11. I place the tray in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up, then move it to the fridge for at least another 30 minutes before cutting or decorating.

Milk powder paste:
12. I mix the honey with a few tablespoons of milk powder in a small bowl. I homogenize it with a spoon and gradually add more milk powder, then knead with my hands. The consistency should be like soft modeling clay that doesn't stick too much.
13. For shaping, I use milk powder on the surface to prevent sticking. The paste can be left white or colored with food coloring (optional).
14. I roll out a thin sheet, cut out shapes, or make small balls to decorate the biscuit salami base.
15. I take the base out of the fridge, cut it into shapes (flowers, stars, circles) or with a knife. I decorate with the milk paste as inspired. For simple decorations, I use the tip of a knife, toothpicks, butter knives, or cookie cutters.

I keep the desserts in the fridge until serving. They can be assembled in advance without becoming excessively hard.

Why I make this recipe often

It's easy to adapt with what I have at home and keeps well in the fridge for a few days. It can be shaped or cut for various occasions without crumbling when cut. The taste is balanced; it’s not too sweet if I use honey in the milk paste, and the ingredients are readily available.

Tips and Variations

Tips

- The biscuits should not be completely crushed; a bit of texture helps with appearance and keeping the base together.
- Adding milk powder gradually binds the mixture; if you don’t have it, a bit of regular milk can work, but the texture will be wetter.
- For shaping the milk paste, avoid working on wood. A smooth, dry surface makes a difference.

Substitutions

- Nuts/almonds: you can use only nuts, only almonds, or cashews. I don’t use peanuts here because they have a specific taste.
- Syrup for the milk paste: any type of honey, sugar syrup, or fruit syrup works.
- Butter: can be replaced with margarine, but the texture and taste won’t be the same.

Variations

- If I want a stronger chocolate flavor, I add 20 g of grated dark chocolate to the hot syrup.
- For decoration, I sometimes incorporate small pieces of Turkish delight or dried fruits into the biscuit base.
- Without cocoa: if I don’t add cocoa, the base will be lighter in color but still compact.

Serving Ideas

- I can cut out shapes for kids (bears, hearts, stars) and decorate with leftover colored paste.
- For adults, I simply decorate with a little white paste and a few whole nuts pressed on top.
- If not decorating with milk paste, a thin layer of powdered sugar or cocoa can be sprinkled on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the recipe without milk powder?
Yes, but the texture will be crumbly. You can compensate with 1-2 tablespoons of additional milk, but the base won’t be as easy to cut.

What type of biscuits are recommended?
I use plain biscuits, like popular or Petit Beurre. Very sweet biscuits or those with strong flavors will change the final taste.

Can this dessert be frozen?
I don’t recommend freezing as the milk paste changes texture upon thawing. It keeps well in the fridge for a week.

Can I use powdered food coloring?
Yes, but dissolve it in a few drops of water first; otherwise, it will color the paste unevenly.

Do I have to use almonds?
No, it can be made with just nuts or even without nuts if there are allergies.

Nutritional Values (estimated, per cut piece)

Calories: 180-210 kcal
Protein: 3-4 g
Fat: 8-10 g
Carbohydrates: 25-28 g

The values depend on the type of biscuits, the amount of milk powder, and how much decorative paste is used. The dessert is quite energy-dense, given the sugar, butter, and nuts.

Storage and Reheating

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 5-7 days. The biscuit salami base remains firm, and the milk paste doesn’t harden excessively. It doesn’t need reheating. They can be left at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving if you want a softer texture. If the milk paste decoration dries out on the surface after 2-3 days, it can be covered with plastic wrap to maintain its elasticity.

Biscuit salami, powdered milk recipe. 1. In a thick pan without oil or in the oven, lightly roast the walnuts and almonds, stirring continuously if roasting over flame. If the shells start to burn and smoke, stop; that's enough, they don't need to be roasted for long. 2. I liked to chop them with a knife; you can pulse them a few times in an electric grinder to a medium granulation. 3. In a food processor, crush the biscuits; they can be quite crumbly since they will break anyway while kneading, in my version they are kneaded. Mix with the nuts. 4. In 72 ml of warm milk, dissolve the cocoa powder; in fact, we get a conglomerate and let it sit. 5. The remaining 72 ml of milk are put in a thick and spacious pot or a small saucepan, along with all the sugar. 6. Over moderate heat, stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens a bit, but if we boil it too long, it will crystallize. 7. Add the butter in pieces and continue stirring until it melts. 8. In the bowl with cocoa powder, pour in a little of the syrup to turn the cocoa conglomerate into a paste. 9. When it's fluid, pour the cocoa into the pot with syrup and bring to a few more boils. 10. Turn off the heat and add the essences. Pour the obtained syrup over the dry biscuit mixture and mix well. It is quite crumbly. If you don't want extra milk, pour it into a tray lined with plastic wrap in a layer of 1.5 cm thick and put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Experiment to see if it holds. Since I didn't have time to test, I added a few tablespoons of powdered milk, kneading for at least 5 minutes to keep it together, so it wouldn't be too dry. 11. I spread all the mixture in a tiramisu tray lined with plastic wrap in a layer of about 1.5 cm and kept it for about 15 minutes, then moved it to the fridge until I prepared the paste. 12. Preparing the paste is easy; put honey in a small bowl and add some powdered milk by eye, mixing with a spoon. Add milk until it becomes consistent enough to knead. It must be kneaded by hand, not on a board, gradually adding powdered milk until it becomes like modeling clay. You should know that you need patience with shaping the paste because it is slightly sticky. It is shaped on a shiny board dusted with powdered milk (that's how I did it) or powdered sugar, but there's no need to sweeten it excessively. Try variations; you might accept starch. 13. The paste is prepared white, and depending on the designs that come to mind, color small balls from it. Gel coloring, a toothpick tip is probably too much; avoid strong colors on large surfaces. Pastel colors are more pleasant. Knowing that I won't prepare often with coloring, I bought a liquid one from Kaufland that is very cheap; I wanted to do tests for the beginning. 14. Cut shapes from the biscuit sheet and decorate as inspired. If you don't have fondant modeling tools, no problem; imagination must work; you can use a kitchen cutter, toothpick, rounded knife handle, or something similar, and these two hands. 15. Keep in the fridge until the last consumption. May it be useful to you! Because I wanted the base of the biscuit salami to be cuttable, I added a few tablespoons of powdered milk to the classic recipe so that it wouldn't be crumbly and to give it some elasticity. I have an old recipe in my notebook with syrup and Turkish delight, but I opted for another version for fear it would turn out too sticky.

 Ingredients: FOR SALAMI 300 g simple biscuits 300 g sugar 120 g butter 60 g cocoa 90 g roasted walnuts and almonds 140 ml milk Bourbon vanilla extract rum essence (or rum) - optional FOR MILK PASTE honey or syrup from jam or sugar syrup - 5 tablespoons powdered milk (as needed)

 Tags:  biscuit salami dessert with cookies biscuit salami cake recipes cooking recipes hello biscuits sweet recipes