Chef notes
This recipe is an adaptation of my friend Christina's grandmother's recipe. Hailing from Kassel, Germany, Christina's family makes this as part of their Christmas celebration, but I think it's great any time of year. Have fun with the inclusions by adding different toasted nuts and even dried fruits. Whatever fits your fancy!
Technique tip: Use a serrated knife to easily chop the chocolate
Swap option: Add your favorite toasted nuts or dried fruit instead of hazelnuts
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups toasted hazelnuts, skin removed
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) 58% to 65% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg white
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
Preparation
1.Using a chef knife, finely chop half of the hazelnuts and set aside. Leave the other nuts whole to mimic differently sized fat pockets in a real sausage.
2.In a medium-sized saucepan, bring an inch of water to a simmer.
3.Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chocolate, sugar, egg white, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of water.
4.Set the bowl over the simmering water and stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
5.Remove chocolate mixture from the heat and stir in the whole and chopped hazelnuts. Stir to combine.
6.Refrigerate the mixture, uncovered, for 1 hour until mostly set.
7.Using a bowl scraper, dump the mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap.
8.Use the plastic wrap to shape the chocolate into a log (about 9 inches in length), then refrigerate for 1 hour.
9.Transfer the chilled log to a fresh sheet of plastic wrap and sprinkle the powdered sugar on top. Roll to coat the log in the sugar, pressing it onto the sides; refrigerate for 1 hour, up to overnight.
Before wrapping the sweet sausage for a gift, shake off excess sugar. To serve, slice log into ¼-inch medallions. It's best served at room temperature. The sausage will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
