Chocolate Sausage (saucisson Au Chocolat)

Jodi B.'s Note:

"Anne Desjardins, chef at L'Eau a la Bouche (Mouthwatering) in Ste. Adele, made this sausage-like cookie to serve at Kendall College, a professional chefs' school in Evanston, Ill. The nut-studded chocolate is rolled into a sausage shape and dredged in icing sugar. Sliced up, it's a delectable treat with coffee or sweet wine." Julian Armstrong, Montreal Gazette

• Total Time: 32 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

• 4 ounces manjari de valrhona chocolate or 4 ounces other quality bittersweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup chopped almonds (50 g)
• 1⁄3; cup chopped dried fruit (apricots, cranberries, etc. 100 g)
• 1 tablespoon sortilegeorange liqueur or 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or 1 tablespoon Cointreau liqueur (or orange flavoring)
• grated zest orange (peel)
• 1 -2 tablespoon sifted icing sugar

Directions:

1. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter together.
2. Roast almonds until lightly browned in 350 degree F (180 C) oven.
3. Soak nuts and dried fruit in liqueur, then add grated orange peel.
4. Stir nut mixture into melted chocolate mixture and transfer to a clean, flat surface.
5. Using your hands, roll chocolate mixture into a long sausage shape, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill.
6. Just before serving, remove plastic and roll sausage in sugar to give it the look of a meat sausage.
7. Slice into 16 cookie-like slices and serve at once.