Kalter Hund
Known as Kalter Hund (cold dog), or Ziegelstein (brick), this classic Teutonic no-bake dessert is beloved in Switzerland, as well as its neighbour to the North.
Popular for children’s birthday parties, and easy for kids to make, this no-bake dessert can (arguably) be put together with things you already have in your pantry.
(Because it’s Switzerland, it doesn’t seem strange to assume that people have 400 g in high-quality milk and dark chocolate lying around.)
Another key ingredient is coconut fat which, even before the state of emergency, was considered a Notvorrat (emergency supply), due to its long shelf life—check out the packaging, below. (Also, I learned that you can use it in your Fondue Bourguignonne.)
I made many different versions of this recipe (notably swissmilk, which I found to be a bit too soft, and Essen und Trinken, which seemed needlessly complicated (eggs)) before I settled on the ingredients below, which owes its debt to Dr Oetker, only with a more even balance of chocolate.
200 g dark chocolate
200 g milk chocolate
150 g coconut fat
200 ml whipping cream
1 tbsp vanilla
250 g Petit Beurre or other similar cookies
Melt the chocolate and coconut fat over a bain marie. Whisk in the cream and vanilla.
Line a loaf pan with wax paper or plastic wrap.
Spread a little of the chocolate in the bottom of the pan. Place as many cookies as fit in your pan but don’t touch the sides, on the chocolate and then spread with more chocolate. Keep adding cookies and spreading until you have used all the chocolate, spreading it evenly over the top.
Cover and place in the fridge for about 3-4 hours, or until firm.
Initially, I was determined to use the Kambly Militärbiscuit (Swiss army ration cookies that have been produced since 1959, and intentionally pair well with both cheese and chocolate, more here), because they fit exactly into my loaf tin and make for a very elegant slice, (see photo at the top and below), but on day two in the fridge they went quite soft. For a cake that lasts a couple of days, Petit Beurre are a better choice.
It is possible to omit the coconut fat—the swissmilk recipe does—though your final product will be a bit softer.
Kalter Hund will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. It is best stored in its own air-tight container to not absorb fridge smells.
You can also freeze a block, just let it defrost in the fridge overnight. Or pre-cut it in slices and take them out as needed.
More Schoggi?
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