I’m a little jealous of all the heat waves in America lately. After the best June in years here in Ireland, July is turning out to be cold and rainy a lot of the time and we’re lucky to even hit 70°F. But last month, when we had proper warm weather, I was making salads for dinner almost every night and this is one of my favorites. Served with some crusty bread, it’s a perfect main course for a hot (or even not so hot) summer’s night.
And if you’re being good and eating salad for dinner, it’s as good of an excuse as any to splurge a little with one of these biscuits. If you can rouse yourself from the heat enough to melt some butter on the stovetop, then all you have to do is press the dough into a baking dish and leave it in the fridge overnight, making this ideal for summertime baking. I made them for the Irish foodies’ cookie bake-off* at the start of the month, and while at first I was a little disappointed in them (I’d been expecting more flavor from the coffee and Crunchie bars), they grew on me. They’re a grown-up kind of cookie, the kind of thing that’s perfect with a cup of coffee after dinner (or anytime).
White Bean, Salami and Spinach Salad
adapted from The Kitchen Diaries
Serves 2 as a light main course
for the salad:
7 oz (200 g) baby spinach (or about 4 big handfuls)
1/2 lb (225 g) salami, thinly sliced
a handful of basil leaves, cut into ribbons
2 x 14 oz (400 g) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup (100 g) black olives, halved
freshly grated Parmesan shards, to serve
crusty bread, to serve
for the dressing:
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the spinach into a large serving dish. Cut the salami into thin strips and add to the spinach along with the basil, beans and olives.
To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, thyme and salt and pepper together until thick and creamy (or shake to combine in a screw-top jar). Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together gently. Grate over some thick shards of Parmesan cheese and serve with plenty of crusty bread.
***
Italian Chocolate Fridge Biscuits
adapted from Avoca Café Cookbook
Makes one 9 x 13 inch tray
3/4 cup (175 g) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (150 g) cocoa powder
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3/4 cup (75 g) ground almonds
3/4 cup (75 g) ground hazelnuts
1 tablespoon espresso or strong black coffee
1 egg and 1 egg yolk, beaten together
6 oz (175 g) Petit Beurre, high-quality butter cookies or digestive biscuits, roughly chopped
6 oz (175 g) honeycomb, such as Crunchie bars, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups (175 g) hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Put the butter, cocoa, sugar, ground almonds and ground hazelnuts in a large pot and heat gently, stirring, until the butter has melted. Beat the coffee, egg and egg yolk into the mixture, then stir in the cookies, honeycomb and chopped hazelnuts. It will be very crumbly and rough looking at this stage.
Lightly oil a shallow 9 x 13 inch baking dish and firmly press the mixture into it (the mixture should be about 3/4 inch thick). Leave it to set in the fridge overnight, then turn out and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
*Looking for more cookie inspiration? Check out all these recipes from some other Irish foodies:
- Brown butter chocolate chip cookies
- Chocolate crinkle cookies
- Chocolate melting moments
- Chocolate nut slice
- Chocolate orange cookies
- Cinnamon butterfly cookies
- Cranberry pecan cookies
- Double chocolate pecan cookies
- Lemon rind heart cookies
- Lemon sugar cookies
- Messy choc chip mallow block
- New York Times chocolate chip cookies
- Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
- Peanut butter button cookies
- Peanut crunch cookies
- Sugar-dusted wedding cookies
- Toffee apple cookies
- Triple chocolate cookies
- Vanilla sugar cookies
- World peace cookies
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Definitely going to try that salad… and Nigel Slater’s Kitchen Diaries is my favorite book. Those biscuits do indeed look very grown up… delicious.
Still dreaming of those chocolate fridge biscuits – they are the perfect “grownup” cookie! Not too sweet, the perfect amount of crunch/texture…I’m kind of obsessed with them now!
I have had my eye on those fridge biscuits from the Avoca book for a while now – this may be the spur I need to just go and make them!
Those biscuits look good, very indulgent!!!
Thanks again for the Rustic Fruit book recommendation – love it! And, you’ve reminded me that I’ve had the Avoca book on my list for a while too (discovered the place on a trip to Dublin via one of your other readers, Daily Spud).
I did enjoy some of the American heat in Cali last week and it was so nice to soak up the rays. Not humid like the midwest or east coast heat…I miss that -when you step outside and just feel the sticky warmth, especially at night. Reminds me of high school – night swimming, heat lightening, and plans for cow tipping (we never did it, just talked about doing it!).
I think I can muster up the will power to have just salad for dinner (when its super hot, its so much easier not to overeat) especially since its got cannellini beans and salami. Looks tasty!
have been looking at your websight and just love the commentary and the receipes–even though don’t really cook that much any more. going to make the salami and white bean salad tonight–looks and sounds so good.would love to try the chocolate fridge brownies but too lazy.
have you gone to the fair yet? have fun. love you all–grandma Ellie