I was first introduced to chocolate salami by a Portuguese work colleague in London. It arrived in a Christmas parcel from her mother, beautifully wrapped in cellophane with string tied around it to replicate its meaty counterpart. I have adapted my biscuit cake recipe to make three chocolate salamis. There is plenty of room for personal expression when making this, ingredients can be chopped and changed depending on what’s in the cupboard, just keep the first four ingredients the same as in the recipe.

Chocolate salami is very impressive on a dessert platter or as a petit four served with coffee. It will also keep for weeks in the fridge or a cool place, well hidden, and it freezes beautifully. Be warned – it has that addictive quality which makes it virtually impossible stop nibbling it.

Place the chocolate, butter and Golden Syrup in a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt, helping it along the way with an occasional stir. When melted, remove from the heat and beat in the egg, add the walnuts, sultanas, cherries, and broken biscuits and stir until all ingredients are combined.

Put a large double layer of cling film on a clean work surface that has been wiped with a damp cloth (this will help the film to stick). Spoon one third of the chocolate mix into the centre of the film – you need a rough sausage shape about 25cm long. Wrap the sausage in the cling film, pushing against the work surface to make it quite tight. Once completely covered, hold the ends of the cling film and roll the salami as if it were a rolling pin, to help tighten the wrap. Tie the ends into a knot, then chill for at least eight hours, preferably overnight.

Repeat this for each salami. To serve, unwrap the salami and roll it in desiccated coconut, then slice using a hot knife.