[1] Coffee date scones (photos #1 and #4 © Nescafé).

[2] Scones can be round or triangular. The triangular shape is an old one that comes from cooking scones in a frying pan over the fire, then cutting the cooked circle into pie-shape triangles (photo © King Arthur Baking Company).

[3] Dates are among the sweetest fruits in the world, with a concentration of natural sugar. They’re great for baking, snacking, in green and chicken salads, on oatmeal and much more; and can be substituted for raisins, dates and other dried fruits (photo © Bard Valley Natural Delights).

[4] Nescafe Taster’s Choice coffee granules. Here’s the difference between coffee granules and instant coffee.

We made these Nescafé Coffee-Date Scones (photo #1) for brunch this weekend, served warm with optional butter and jam.

Not surprisingly, they go great with coffee!

Substitutions & Additions:

 
 
RECIPE: COFFEE-DATE SCONES

Prep time is 12 minutes, cook time is 10-12 minutes.

Ingredients For 10 Scones

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

2. COMBINE the evaporated milk and coffee granules in small bowl; stir until the coffee is dissolved.

3. COMBINE the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Cut in the butter with pastry blender or two knives, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the coffee mixture, dates and vanilla extract until the mixture forms a soft dough.

4. KNEAD 5 to 7 times on a lightly floured surface. Gently pat or roll into a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter and place on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the tops.

5. BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.
 
 
MORE SCONE RECIPES

 
 
> THE HISTORY OF SCONES
 
>MORE USES FOR INSTANT COFFEE
 
> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INSTANT COFFEE & COFFEE GRANULES
 
 
DATE TRIVIA

One of the first fruits domesticated in the Middle East (around 5000 B.C.E.), dates are now grown in the Bard Valley of Southern California.

Like apricots, cherries, olives, peaches, plums and others, dates are a stone fruit, with a large pit in the middle.

Called “natures’s candy,” dates are naturally fat-free, packed with nutrients and an excellent source of quick energy.

Dates are high in potassium and fiber, supplying 24% of your daily recommended fiber in just one serving (about 6 dates).

Middle Easterners use dates in omelets for breakfast, and in sauces for veal or lamb.

Larger varieties ike the Medjool can be stuffed with cheeses, nuts or even peanut butter.

They’re great for baking, snacking, in green and chicken salads, on oatmeal, in stuffings, smoothies, and made into chutney. They can be substituted for raisins, dates and other dried fruits in any recipe.

New Year’s Eve means Champagne in our house, but it also means eggnog (or if you prefer, egg nog).

We’ve made quite a few different recipes over the years. Some are linked below, including a low-calorie option.

This year, we’re looking forward to this spiced chocolate eggnog recipe from American Heritage Chocolate.

The recipe uses American Heritage Chocolate’s Finely Grated Baking Chocolate, which is the equivalent of grating a 57% cacao chocolate bar and adding anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, and red pepper (chile pepper).

To that, the recipe adds additional cinnamon and nutmeg, with optional cayenne as a garnish.
 
 
RECIPE: SPICED CHOCOLATE EGGNOG

Prep time is 25 minutes. You can then serve the eggnog hot or cold.

Served cold in an Old Fashioned glass, it’s like an alcoholic shake.

Can you add a scoop of chocolate ice cream? Sure!

Ingredients For 6 Cups

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the milk, sugar and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.

2. WHISK in a separate bowl, the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of hot milk mixture to temper.

3. RETURN the saucepan with the hot milk-sugar mixture to the heat. Whisk the mixture constantly and slowly pour in the tempered yolk mixture. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches a light simmer. Remove immediately from the heat.

4. ADD the chocolate and vanilla to the saucepan. Stir until the chocolate melts, and blend. Add the brandy or rum.

5. REMOVE the cinnamon sticks. Pour the eggnog into mugs or glasses of choice, and top with dollop of whipped cream, a grating of nutmeg and a tiny sprinkle of cayenne. Serve hot or cold.
 

MORE EGGNOG RECIPES

 
 
> DECEMBER 24TH IS NATIONAL EGGNOG DAY

> THE HISTORY OF EGGNOG

[1] This Chocolate Spiced Eggnog can be served hot or cold. The cold version, above, is served like a shake (photo © American Heritage Chocolate).

[2] Classic eggnog in a vintage punch cup (photo © All Whites Egg Whites | Bob Evans).

[3] Some people like rum in their eggnog, some like bourbon. Some add both (photo © Mount Gay Rum)!

[4] Pumpkin eggnog adds pumpkin purée for a festive fall drink (photo © Taste Of Home).

[1] You can build these crisps on any base you like. We chose toasted ficelle*, a long loaf of French bread that’s narrower than a baguette (photos #1 and #2 © Cambria Style).

[2] Buy extra figs and place them in a bowl for those who’d like some fresh fruit.

[3] Divina fig spread is delicious on toast, atop oatmeal, on sandwiches and much more. Check out our review (photos #3 and #4 © Murray’s Cheese).

[4] A jar of Divina Fig Spread. Try it as a spread on ham or turkey sandwiches.

We were looking for a new hors d’oeuvre to serve with a Champagne aperitif at our little family New Year’s Eve dinner.

Then, we were leafing through Cambria Style magazine’s 20th Anniversary issue, online, and we found this fig and goat cheese recipe that hit the spot for hors d’oeuvres** on New Year’s Eve.

It was adapted by Cambria Style from Bon Appétit magazine.
 
 
RECIPE: FIG & GOAT CHEESE PANCETTA CRISPS

Ingredients For 12 Crisps

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F.

2. LINE two large baking sheets with parchment paper and place the pancetta in a single layer on the paper. Bake until crisp and nicely browned, 12–15 minutes.

3. TRANSFER the pancetta crisps to paper towels and let cool for 15 minutes. (Note: If using sliced baguette/ficelle, you can toast them in the same oven after you remove the pancetta. See the directions in the footnote‡.)

4. ARRANGE the crisps on a serving platter and top each with 1 teaspoon goat cheese, a small dollop of fig spread, 1 arugula leaf and fig slices. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF FIGS

> WHY GOAT CHEESE IS DIFFERENT

> A KIT TO MAKE YOUR OWN GOAT CHEESE
 
 
ABOUT CAMBRIA STYLE

Cambria Style is a lifestyle magazine that celebrates home decor, design and all the little things that make home special—like the tasty goat cheese and fig crisps above.

Cambria Style is an initiative to showcase the gorgeous Cambria home surfaces. The home features are positively drool-worthy.

Head here for a complimentary subscription to Cambria Style. It’s published twice a year and has won design awards.
 
________________

**Hors d’oeuvres are served before the meal, typically with cocktails or wine. Appetizers tend to indicate the beginning of the meal. An hors d’oeuvre isn’t considered to be part of the meal, so can insist of just about anything. Appetizers, on the other hand, are typically chosen to compliment the rest of the menu.

*Ficelle is a long loaf that’s thinner than a baguette—1″ to 2″ wide. The word is French for “string.”

†In the photos, Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten-free crackers were used.

‡To toast bread in the oven, lower the heat to 350°F and position a rack in the middle. Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes, turning after five minutes.

[1] The White Christmas Cocktail has a complex layering of flavors, including coffee and vanilla (photos #1 and #2 © Kilkea Castle).

[2] The cocktail is available through the holiday season, at Kilkea Castle’s restaurants and lounges.

[3] If you purchase a bottle of Tia Maria for this cocktail, you can use it as often as you like in coffee, as an after-dinner drink. Or, splash some into iced coffee as an after-work treat (photo © Tia Maria).

This “White Christmas” cocktail can continue straight through New Year’s Eve.

It’s rum- and vodka-based, with coffee liqueur and vanilla vodka. You may not have all the ingredients, so see the substitutions below.
 
 
RECIPE: WHITE CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the Tia Maria, vanilla vodka, Malibu rum and milk into shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled (20-30 seconds).

2. STRAIN into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with brown sugar stripes (or design of your choice). You can use an espresso spoon or other implement to sprinkle the stripes.
 
 
SUBSTITUTIONS

 
 
GRANULATED BROWN SUGAR

Granulated brown sugar, which is used for the garnish, is a pourable version of brown sugar that can be used as a substitute for light brown sugar, which is not particularly pourable.

Domino calls its brand Pourable Light Brown Sugar. It’s also a delicious sprinkle on oatmeal and other cereals, and for fruit that isn’t as sweet as it could be.

If you can’t find it locally, look on Amazon.

Here’s more about granulated brown sugar.

You can substitute:

 
 
> HERE’S MORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUGAR.
 
 
ABOUT KILKEA CASTLE

Kilkea Castle (photo #2) is a luxury hotel resort and golf club located in County Kildare, Ireland, 40 minutes from the Dublin Airport.

While we can’t spend Christmas there, alas, we can have a small taste of it, thanks to Kilkea Castle’s head bartender, David Pedro.

[1] The recipient gets a certificate suitable for framing…and then updates until the cheddar cheese arrives (photos #1 and #2 © Rent Mother Nature).

[2] This maple syrup comes from “your” sugar maple tree.

[3] You’ll get updates from your goat, and then her cheese will arrive (photo © Laloo’s Goat Milk Ice Cream | Laloo’s | Ice Cream Source).

[4] Busy bees are making honey for your gift recipient (photo © Wolfgang Hasselmann | Unsplash).

This specialty business lets you “lease*” a farm animal, tree or field and receive its bounty: cheese, fruit,

Since 1979, Rent Mother Nature has been supporting natural, organic agriculture on small family farms.

Your “lease fee” lets you gift farm-fresh harvests. They’re:

 
 
WHAT YOU GET

Lease a cow, for example, and you’ll get:

 
According to the company, satisfaction and bountiful yields are 100% guaranteed.
 
 
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU LEASE?

Rent Mother Nature, founded in 1979, “leases” some 20 different animals, trees and grains.

The crops come from 15 U.S. states plus Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

Depending on your choice, your lease could yield a jug of maple syrup from “your” tree, a wool blanket from “your” sheep, or a jar of honey from “your” beehive.

The current lease opportunities include:

 
Of course, you could purchase the food items in a store for a lot less money.

But where’s the fun in handing someone several pounds of wild rice or three wheels of cheddar?
 
 
> LEARN MORE & GET YOUR LEASE HERE.
 
 
________________

*What’s the difference between lease and rent? In real estate terms, a lease is a contract for a specific period of time (e.g., 6 or 12 months), after which the contract expires. Rent is the payment made under the terms of the lease [source].