This is a riff on a Food Network spot about a chocolatier in Atlanta. He had done a chocolate salami that I thought would be fun for New Year’s Day football games. I got the basics from Food TV, then added my own spin. It looks like a salami but will surprise your friends. Now, the sugar cookies that look like crackers confuse people, but then throw in the faux cheese, and you have the perfect way to move 2020 out of here.

Chocolate salami:
12 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao)
4 ounces butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces shortbread cookies, broken in pieces
4 ounces amaretto cookies, broken In pieces
1 teaspoon amaretto
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup chopped pistachios (optional)
Wax paper
Melt chocolate.
Mix sugar and egg and whip until light.
Temper chocolate to 140 degrees; add butter one piece at a time, whisking after each piece.
Add egg and sugar and whisk until smooth, about 4 minutes.
Mix in vanilla and amaretto.

Fold in cookie pieces and nuts.
Let cool slightly, roll into a log shaped like a salami, and wrap in wax paper.
If possible, wrap in a salami net.

Sugar cookie faux crackers:
1 package sugar cookie mix
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter melted
1 egg
Egg wash:
1 egg
2 teaspoon water

Mix cookie mix, flour, salt and baking power.

Add butter and egg and mix.

Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick; cut dough to look like crackers (I used a ravioli cutter).

Coat with egg wash.

Bake for 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Faux cheese:
12 ounces white chocolate chips
2 ounces butter
2 ounces cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
10 drops yellow food coloring
6 drops red food color

Melt chocolate in microwave in 20 second bursts.

Add powdered sugar, butter, cream, and food color and stir until mixture looks like melted cheddar cheese.

Place mixture in a plastic bag, cut corner, and pipe squares on wax paper. Let sit until it hardens.

Assemble to look like salami and cheese on a cracker.