At home, it was called chocolate block dessert. However, I only discovered as an adult that in Emilia-Romagna, this dessert is more commonly known as Dolce Mattone (literally, Cake brick).

It requires very simple ingredients.

It has the aroma and flavor of old-fashioned desserts, the kind our grandmothers used to make. Although in this case, it is not the classic ciambella that is proudly displayed on a cake stand in the glass-fronted cupboard. It is, in effect, a dessert to be eaten with a spoon and refrigerated.

Mattonella, or chocolate block, is one of the simplest recipes you can make in what I call home baking.

An expression that I don’t think exists, but which I use every time I talk about a homemade dessert that has ambitions but has remained in its natural environment within the home. Mattonella is not a dessert you find in restaurants or displayed in pastry shop windows.

My home Chocolate block dessert and Dolce Mattone from Emilia-Romagna

In Emilia-Romagna, Dolce Mattone is a dessert made of alternating layers of chocolate cream and yellow cream, separated by dry biscuits. There are many versions. Some use custard, others mascarpone, fresh eggs without prior cooking, and then mix half of the cream with melted chocolate.

The flavors used depend on personal taste and, sometimes, the seasons. Some people flavor the creams or biscuits with coffee or liqueur, and others add fresh fruit between the layers. Today, it is a popular dessert throughout Italy, not just along the Via Emilia. The shape and consistency can also vary greatly from recipe to recipe. For some, the mattonella has the shape of a semifreddo, for others it is a rectangle or a square. Sometimes it is so soft that it has to be taken directly from the mold, like a tiramisu. Other times it is a dessert that, while remaining soft, is cut into slices.

For me, it tastes like home. It was the dessert we had for Sunday lunch with the family, just us and a menu that, looking back today, makes me realize how lucky I was. Or at children’s parties. It was a dessert I often took to school or to the parish for special events.

Mattonella al cioccolato senza uova e cottura

A dessert that deserves a place in your repertoire

The best thing about this dessert is that it is quick to prepare and, above all, does not require any culinary skills to turn out perfectly every time and impress your guests. In fact, if you are looking for a dessert recipe and are short on time or inexperienced, I recommend this one.

The chocolate block reminds me of chocolate salami. Another chocolate or cocoa dessert (like the one you can find on my blog, without fresh eggs) that everyone always likes and is easy to prepare. Besides, even expert cooks don’t always feel like climbing the Everest of recipes. Right?

In either case, a bowl of whipped cream served separately in the center of the table enhances the experience and everyone’s mood.

The ingredients of the Chocolate block

The homemade recipe for mattonella had four main ingredients: chocolate, sugar, eggs, and a fatty ingredient, usually butter and fresh cream (unsweetened and unflavored).

I made some changes. The most important one is that I eliminated fresh eggs, just like in chocolate salami. Of course, eggs enrich the dessert’s texture. Still, in these two desserts, which do not require baking, I preferred not to complicate anyone’s life with pasteurization, starting with my own. In addition, I reduced the butter and added mascarpone, which helps the cream thicken and makes it easier to cut.

Unlike Dolce Mattone, which often combines two different creams, my chocolate mattonella is made only with chocolate cream, just like my grandmother used to make it.

At this point, you need a scale to weigh the ingredients, a pan to melt them all together, and a mold to shape the dessert.

Sugar

I use powdered sugar, but you can also use cane sugar. The cream becomes smooth, just the way I like it. Still, you can also use white granulated sugar, cane sugar, or even muscovado sugar, depending on your taste.

Chocolate

I used dark chocolate, but you can substitute milk or white chocolate, or alternate layers of cream using different types of chocolate. In this case, divide the amount of chocolate by three or two. Melt each one with half or a third of the other ingredients.

Fat

I use three different fat ingredients: mascarpone, fresh cream, and butter, but I have reduced the amount of butter in my family’s recipe (100 g). The mascarpone adds richness to the cream, balancing out the lack of eggs. It also makes the cake easier to cut. If you prefer to serve it in the mold and use a spoon to portion it, replace the mascarpone with fresh cream.

Cookies

Dry ones, for breakfast. Whether to dip them or not is up to you. In the recipe, I’ll tell you everything you need to know and how to do it if you decide to dip them.

Finally, I grew up with this dessert, which is now part of my personal and professional repertoire, as I have also included it in the collection of the dishes I prepare in my cooking classes. I have listed and analyzed the ingredients so that you can also include the dessert in your repertoire and use them as a base to customize to your taste.

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