A Christmas Post: Holiday Recipe: Fig and Toasted Almond Scones

Photo: King Arthur Flour

A Christmas Post: Holiday Recipe: Fig and Toasted Almond Scones: From Denny:  Autumn is here - and so is daylight savings time this Sunday when we "fall backward" one hour - so don't forget to set your clocks back one hour!

For some reason I've been enjoying the vegan scones over at Whole Foods the past couple of weeks now that the weather has cooled.  So, that sent me on The Scone Recipe Chase to see what is out there in recipe database land.  Found these little autumnal gems over at King Arthur Flour.

Figs are quite popular here in Louisiana where many a backyard grows a fig tree.  Almonds are popular in California where they supply the nation! This is the time of year when the nation's nut orchards are releasing their bountiful harvest of pecans (Louisiana and Texas), almonds, walnuts and macadamias so we are all tempted to start our holiday baking early! At least I believe that's their marketing strategy to sell more nuts. :)

Scones are an easy way to try out some fruit and nut combinations to see how the family and friends enjoy the idea.  While I love my blueberry and lemon scones of the summer it's time for something different for the fall season so we wanted to try these fig and almond scones at our house.  Of course, if figs or almonds are not your preference, know that you can always try figs and walnuts or cranberries and almonds or whatever grabs your fancy this baking season.

Don't feel like the extra effort and time of slicing the scone dough into proper triangles?  Try the method the King Arthur Flour bakers suggest:  bake them into rounds just using 1/4 cup of dough for each scone, leaving 2 inches between them.  That amounts to the idea of a drop scone, much like a drop biscuit...

Holiday Message Potholder

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!

Holiday Message Dinner Placemats - design also available in cloth napkins, teapots, mugs, coffee travel mugs, aprons, serving trays, wine chillers, cocktail shakers, cocktail plates, cutting boards, cookie jars, flour and sugar canisters, dog food bowls, dog t-shirts, dog hoodies and much more! Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!

Holiday Message Large Serving Tray

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  Thank you to all those who are supporting this cause.  You rock!

Subscribe in a reader to A Christmas Post or Subscribe by Email

* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 24 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place.  A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. * 

*** Check out Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes

Cake Tuesday: Shenandoah Apple Cake

*** Enjoy an easy to make old-fashioned cake with links to 2 more similar recipes!




This is an apple and pear cake with the link to the recipe after the post


From Denny: Apple cake is one of those first cakes a beginner baker learns to make because it is so tasty for breakfast, a weekend brunch or an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee or tea. At our house we like fruit desserts like fruit pies and fruit cakes.

Also, on the health side, when you eat fruit in a sugary dessert the fruit helps minimize the effects of sugar causing that roller coaster ride for the blood sugar that can leave you depleted of energy a few hours later. So, if you like sweets - but have some issues breaking away from too much sugar in your diet - this fruit in a sugary dessert helps you work your way out of it. If you don't have any issues with too much sugar in your diet, just enjoy! :)

When I make apple cake in the summer I like to add 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg to the cinnamon. When I make this cake in the fall I add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves to the cinnamon. Nutmeg is lighter and fresher to the senses just perfect for the spring and summer. Cloves as a spice is mysterious and warm in sensation.

It is an extremely strong spice so don't add more as the spice can take over the flavor of a dish. Using cloves as a background hint does wonders for more than baked goods. I use it in marinara and spaghetti sauces and even when I make oatmeal for breakfast. Here in Louisiana we use ground cloves in our seafood boil seasonings too. There is more to the clove spice than just studded in the fat to bake a ham! It's sweetness is versatile when used with a very light hand.

In my ongoing effort to promote small business over Big Business I'm featuring this Virgina bed and breakfast inn today. Considering that the Fourth of July is this weekend, what could be more patriotic than to remember the earliest history of America? This inn dates back to 1740! It once stood on the American frontier and has been restored to 12 guest rooms for gracious comfortable country living.





Restored inn from Colonial times on the Shenandoah River in Virginia

From the website of The Inn at Narrow Passage: Our historic 1740 Shenandoah Valley bed and breakfast is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the beauty and history of the Valley of this special location between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Alleghenies.

Once a haven against Indian attacks on the Virginia frontier and later Stonewall Jackson’s headquarters during the Valley Campaign of 1862, our Shenandoah Valley inn now welcomes travelers looking for comfortable lodging and friendly hospitality.

On Route 11 (the Old Valley Turnpike), only two miles from Interstate 81 at Woodstock, our Virginia Bed & Breakfast inn has a real country atmosphere. We are located five private acres along the Shenandoah River. The Inn offers 12 guest rooms, a well-equipped meeting room for small executive retreats, many common areas, and lovely grounds to host your wedding.

*** Recognized for "Excellence in Preservation 2007" by the Shenandoah Preservation League

*** Selected by National Geographic Traveler as one of 150 hotels and inns in North America that "Celebrate their Sense of Place" (April, 2008)






This is an apple and pear cake with the link to the recipe after the post



Shenandoah Apple Cake

The Inn at Narrow Passage
Ellen and Ed Markel, owners and innkeepers
50 Chapman Landing Road (P.O. Box 608)
Woodstock, Virginia 22664

Email: innkeeper@narrowpassage.com
Phone: 540-459-8000 ~ Toll Free: 800-459-8002


Shenandoah Apple Cake

Ingredients:

5 apples, pared, cored, and thinly sliced
5 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon
4 eggs
2 c.sugar
3 c. flour
1 c. oil
3 tsp. baking powder
2 + 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Juice of one orange (1/4 c.)

Directions:

Mix first three ingredients together and set aside.

Beat eggs with sugar, add oil, flour, baking powder, vanilla, and orange juice.
Beginning with batter, alternate layers in a greased and floured ring pan, ending with batter.

Save some apples to decorate the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. and 10 min. Cool on a wire rack and remove from pan. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar before serving, if desired.


*** See Also from Smitten Kitchen: Mom's Apple Cake

*** See Also: Here's what you do when you only have 2 apples and some pears to make the same cake, go here.

*** See Also: Muffin Monday and Cake Tuesday recipe links

*** Photo of apple and pear cake by joyocity @ flickr

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets
Dennys Global Politics
The Soul Calendar
Visual Insights
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations
Poems From A Spiritual Heart
The Healing Waters
Dennys Art Sanctuary
Romancing The Chocolate
Comfort Food From Louisiana
Unusual 2 Tasty
Dennys Blog Feeds
Dennys Funny Quotes
Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd

Cake Tuesday: Fresh Peach Coffee Cake

*** This summer enjoy fresh Georgia peaches in your morning coffee cake!





Beautiful Georgia peach by totalAldo @ flickr


From Denny: One of my fondest memories of living in Atlanta, Georgia, was when the Georgia peaches came into season. There was a frenzy across the city to gather up all the ripest peaches for steaming hot peach cobbler smothered with a side of perfect vanilla ice cream and then bake peach coffee cakes redolent with fragrant cinnamon to pair with that early morning cup of coffee for the next day. Then we would turn to making peach pies, unbaked and thrown into the freezer for those days in the fall when we were craving that fresh peach taste.

And, after we had our fill of the freshest juiciest ripe peaches - for about a week as we stuffed ourselves silly - we turned to canning them, yes, city girls canning peaches like we lived on a farm. A Georgia peach is not to be missed. Neither are the Vidalia onions when they come into season in June, though Texas is giving them a good run for their money on delivering sweet white mild onions to the market.

This recipe for this peach coffee cake comes from a bed and breakfast inn located in British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. What's been fun about researching recipes from bed and breakfasts across America and Canada is to go to their websites and see what they offer the weary traveler. What I found unique about this inn is that there is a vineyard as part of the view!



A View to Remember B&B
1090 Trevor Drive
Kelowna, BC V1Z2J8

Email: info@KelownaBandB.com




View of the vineyards from the b and b



From A View to Remember: Discover the natural beauty of the Okanagan Valley - spectacular vistas overlooking 82 miles of Lake Okanagan with over 2000 hours of sunshine.

Relax in one of our spacious elegant bed and breakfast suites with ensuite bathrooms and all the comforts of home.

Enjoy the view - relax in the tranquil and beautiful English gardens, sit in the gazebo and listen to the birds, enjoy the sun of the patio or enjoy the panoramic view up on our private deck.

Begin your day with a delicious home made gourmet breakfast featuring our own signature egg dishes, our famous local Okanagan fruit and our special blend of gourmet coffee.

Experience the Okanagan vineyards, just minutes away from our Kelowna bed and breakfast. The wine and the creative cuisine of the world class wineries in this beautiful Okanagan Valley are waiting for you. Our mission is our committment to provide you with quality Bed and Breakfast accommodations with outstanding hospitality and service.



Fresh Peach Coffee Cake


Ingredients:

1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 c buttermilk
4 peaches peeled and diced
1 tsp cinnamon
cinnamon sugar mix for topping

Directions:

Cream butter with brown sugar add slightly beaten egg. Add flour and baking soda alternately with buttermilk beating smooth after each addition. Gently blend in peaches. Pour batter into 9-inch x 13-inch dish, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.



*** See Also: Cake Tuesday: Coffee Toffee Fudge Cake, Tunnel of Fudge Cake

*** Check out more recipe posts: Recipes: Muffin Monday and Cake Tuesday



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!