Other Desserts

Chocolate salami from cookies and cocoa is a famous homemade dessert beloved by many from childhood, which a lot of us remember from the days when moms and grandmas made it for tea or for children's parties. It's made in just 20 minutes with no baking, from the simplest, most accessible ingredients: shortbread cookies, cocoa, butter, condensed milk and nuts. The result is always remarkably tasty — chocolatey, tender and surprisingly similar to real salami when sliced, thanks to the characteristic cookie "flecks" in the cross-section. It's an ideal kids' dessert and a great gift to bring to tea. Break the shortbread cookies by hand into large pieces. Soften the butter and beat with condensed milk and cocoa to a smooth creamy mass. Combine with the cookies and chopped nuts and mix thoroughly. Shape into a thick log on plastic wrap, wrap tightly and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Proportions for 500 g of cookies inside.

Homemade glazed curd bars — known in Russia as syrki — are a natural, additive-free version of the beloved Soviet-era childhood treat: just creamy cottage cheese, butter, sugar and real chocolate, with none of the preservatives and dyes you find in store-bought versions. Use full-fat cottage cheese (9% or higher) and push it through a sieve or blitz in a blender until completely smooth — this is what gives syrki their signature creamy texture with no curd grains. Mix with softened butter and powdered sugar, shape into bars, freeze 30 minutes to firm up, dip in melted chocolate and chill again. Classic proportions for 8-10 bars and flavor variations: vanilla, cocoa, with nuts or dried fruit inside.