Keksz szalámi - biscuit salami

Biscuit salami is a cheap, and easy to make sweet.
I liked it very much when I was a kid, but we didn't have too many options, so I thought that was the only reason, as it is not some gourmet dessert one would brag about... Well, most of the best things aren't ;).
However, when I made it for the kids, I was very surprised to learn that they LOVE it.
They were asking for it for a while, so I decided to make some for Easter.
Given that I wasted two cakes so far in the past two days, *sigh*, it was easy decision to jump into something that can not be wasted.

Kids like the simple version. I like the one with cranberries. I hope hubby will like the one with the coconuts..
Today I divided the dough and made one simple, one coconut, one apricots (no cranberries :( in the "baking" drawer), and one butterscotch version. I wanted one with white chocolate chips, but I didn't manage to locate it in my well organized khhhmmm storage, and the butterscotch chips looked like a good alternative.

Ingredients
500 g (1.1 pounds, 2.5 packages) biscuits (Maria biscuits)
250 g butter (2 1/3 sticks), if you wanna make it lighter add less butter, maybe 200 g butter only
200 g sugar
200 ml milk
50 g dark cocoa powder (well, here one cocoa is worse than the other, so I decided to add 75 g of Hershey's cocoa which I found in the store, and which is not the worst, but yeah, pretty bad..). From Fazer's gorgeous cocoa powder, or any dutch cocoa, or even Szerencsi kakaó is enough if you add 50 g.
1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional add on-s
coconut shred, 2-3 tbsp
raisins
coarsely crushed nuts, one type or mixed nuts
any dry fruits, the sour ones are best like cranberry, apricots
chocolate chips

Crush the biscuits, they do not need to be finely crushed. It looks even better if you take one small portion and crush it just barely, and mix them to the rest, a bit more finely crushed, biscuits.
Next, you have two choices.
1) Put the milk with sugar in a small bowl and warm it up until reaches boiling point, and boil them just a little, ~ 1-2 min. Add the butter and mix until melted.
Add the vanilla extract and pour the mixture over the biscuits. Mix well, and let it cool down just a little.

2) Add the sugar in a small pot, caramelize the sugar, don't burn it!!, add the butter, mix until melted, and finally add the milk. Boil them together until the caramelized sugar is nicely blended in the milk-butter mixture.
Add the vanilla extract and pour over the biscuits. Wait until cools down a little.

Now, whichever you chose, you are almost ready. I always caramelize the sugar, but I agree, it is much easier if not caramelized.
At this point you can mix in all the other ingredients: cocoa powder (mix until smooth), biscuits and add on-s you decided to have, carefully not to overdo and make a too dry butter which won't stick together.
You can divide the batter and have different things mixed in the two parts.

When the batter is a bit cold and more solid, use some clear plastic wrap, cut a 40 cm piece, and place about 1/2 of the mixture along the longer side in the shape of a roll.
Roll it up, nicely, pinch the two ends of the wrap, and holding the ends of the wrap continue rolling until you get a nice,  tight roll.
Refrigerate overnight.
Cut in thin, 0.5 cm (1/5-1/4 in) slices.
Enjoy!!