During periods of lockdown, I have watched a little more television and with technology these days, I can also watch TV programming from Greece, which includes a lot of food and travel shows.

One such show is called “Syntages Psyhis”, roughly translated as “recipes with soul”, hosted by cookbook author, cooking show host Eleni Psihouli. The premise of the show is to showcase her home region of Thessaly, a province that deserves more of the spotlight.

One of her stops was to Karditsa and she was shown how to make this Chocolate Mosaico with tahini and sesame halva. I immediately loved this idea as it skips the use of butter or margarine, is lent-friendly, easy to prepare and most importantly, delicious.

This dessert is called a Mosaico because when cut, it resembles mosaic tiling. It is often also called “kormos” or log. Some Italian versions call it chocolate salami.

Anyway you name it (or slice it), it’s good!

Chocolate Mosaico With Halva and Hazelnuts

(Serves 10-12)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate (cut into pieces or chips)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup tahini

zest of 1 orange

1 cup whole hazelnuts (roasted)

1 cup dried cherries or cranberries

2 cups of sesame Halva (Drapetsona brand)

Chocolate sauce

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

6 Tbsp. cocoa powder

3 Tbsp. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Garnish

1/2 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts

1. Place your chocolate pieces in a stainless steel bowl and place over a pot with water. Turn heat to medium and stir the chocolate with a spatula until melted.
2. Add the cocoa powder, tahini and orange zest and stir in.
3. Take off the heat and add the hazelnuts and dried cherries, stir in.
4. Chop the sesame halva into large chunks and add into the bowl, stir in.
5. At this point, you may either place on a sheet of parchment paper and wrap the mixture and form into a log or line a 12 inch long loaf pan with parchment, fill with mixture a cover with overhanging parchment.
6. Place in the fridge for 3 hours to set.
7. Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce by adding all the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a small pot and turn heat onto medium while stirring. Once it begins to boil, add chocolate chips, take off the heat and stir until chocolate has melted. Allow to cool uncovered.
8. Take your Mosaico out of the fridge and unwrap parchment and carefully place on a long platter.
9. Spoon enough chocolate sauce to cover the top and drape nicely over the sides. Top with chopped hazelnts.
10. Serve thin slices with vanilla ice cream topped with sour cherry spoon sweet.