Okay, so I decided to tackle some easy Italian desserts the other day, the no-bake kind. Honestly, I just wanted something sweet without firing up the oven, you know? Seemed like less hassle.
Getting Started
First thing, I had to figure out what to make. There are loads of options, right? Tiramisu always comes up, but sometimes feels a bit involved. I browsed around a bit, looking for something really straightforward. Ended up settling on a sort of simplified Tiramisu-ish thing and also a quick chocolate salami – that one sounded fun and super easy.
So, I checked my cupboards. Had most of the basics: some plain cookies (like digestives or graham crackers work fine), cocoa powder, sugar, butter. Needed to grab a few specific things though. I went out and got some mascarpone cheese – couldn’t find it everywhere, took a couple of tries – and some ladyfinger cookies for the Tiramisu-like dessert. Also picked up some dark chocolate and nuts for the salami.
Making the Treats
Back home, I started with the Tiramisu-style one first because it needed chilling time. I brewed some strong coffee – just instant, nothing fancy – and let it cool down completely. While that was cooling, I took the mascarpone, mixed it with some sugar, and a splash of vanilla. Didn’t have Marsala wine, so just skipped it. Kept it simple. I whipped it a bit until it was smooth-ish.
Then the assembly part. I grabbed a glass dish. I quickly dipped each ladyfinger into the cold coffee – gotta be fast, they get soggy quick! – and laid them in the bottom of the dish. I spread about half the mascarpone mixture over the cookies. I repeated the process: another layer of coffee-dipped ladyfingers, then the rest of the cream mixture on top. I smoothed it out as best I could. Looked alright. I dusted a thick layer of cocoa powder over the whole thing. Then, I covered it and stuck it straight into the fridge. Job done for that one, for now.
Next up, the chocolate salami. This was even easier. I busted up some plain cookies into smallish chunks in a bowl. Not powder, just rough pieces. I melted some dark chocolate and butter together in a saucepan over low heat. Took it off the heat, stirred in some sugar, cocoa powder, and a handful of chopped nuts (whatever I had, maybe almonds or walnuts). I dumped the broken cookies into the chocolate mix and stirred it all together until the cookies were coated.
I scooped this mixture onto a big piece of plastic wrap. I shaped it into a log, like a sausage or salami – hence the name, I guess. I rolled it up really tightly in the plastic wrap, twisting the ends to keep the shape. I threw that into the fridge too, to get hard.
The Waiting and The Result
Waiting is always the tough part with no-bake stuff. I had to leave the Tiramisu thing in there for a good few hours, probably like 4 or 5, to let the cookies soften and the flavours meld. The chocolate salami needed less time, maybe 2 hours just to firm up properly.
Later on, I pulled them both out. The Tiramisu looked pretty decent, actually. The cocoa on top made it look legit. I scooped out a portion. The ladyfingers were soft, the cream was nice and cool. Tasted really good! Not too sweet, nice coffee kick. Success!
Then, I unwrapped the chocolate salami. I dusted it with a bit of powdered sugar to make it look more like a real salami. I sliced it into rounds. Looked cool with the chunks of cookies and nuts inside the dark chocolate. It was rich, crunchy, chocolatey. Really simple but very satisfying. Perfect with coffee.
So yeah, that was my little adventure into no-bake Italian desserts. Pretty easy, not much cleanup, and the results were definitely worth it. I’d totally make both of these again, especially when I want something impressive without a ton of effort.
