- 3/4 cup (180ml) eggnog, plus 2 TBS for brushing (cold from the refrigerator)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups plus 2 TBS (234g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (make sure it is fresh)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (115g) cold butter , cut into bits
- demerara sugar to sprinkle
- 1 cup (130g) icing sugar
- pinch ground cinnamon (plus more to garnish)
- pinch ground nutmeg (plus more to garnish)
- 3 TBS eggnog
Eggnog Scones
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (180ml) eggnog, plus 2 TBS for brushing (cold from the refrigerator)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups plus 2 TBS (234g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (make sure it is fresh)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (115g) cold butter , cut into bits
- demerara sugar to sprinkle
- 1 cup (130g) icing sugar
- pinch ground cinnamon (plus more to garnish)
- pinch ground nutmeg (plus more to garnish)
- 3 TBS eggnog
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a lipped baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together in a bowl. Drop in the cold butter and cut it in using your finger tips, two round bladed knives or a pastry blender. It should resemble coarse bread crumbs with some pieces being the size of small peas.
- Whisk the cold eggnog together with the vanilla and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir it in with a fork until you have a soft dough that is not crumbly. (You may need more eggnog) The dough should be soft but not overly sticky.
- Tip out onto a floured cutting board and knead gently a few times then shape into a flat round disc that is 1 inch in thickness. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 wedges. (I cut the disc into half and then the halves in half and then each piece in half yet again.)
- Place on the lined baking sheet leaving plenty of room between each for spreading. Brush the tops lightly with some eggnog. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and a light dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes. Leave on the paper lined tray.
- Whisk the icing sugar and eggnog together for the glaze until smooth. Drizzle this over top of the scones and sprinkle with additional nutmeg and cinnamon if desired.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Jam and butter go well with these.
- Best on the day they are made but will keep (tightly covered) for up to 48 hours. You can also freeze them in an airtight container.
Here I am with another Meals of the Week Post. I do this every Sunday and even though I have already posted another delicious recipe today I just had to share my Meals of the Week with you as well! This is something I do every week, and Christmas Eve or not, it is something I didn't want to miss out on sharing with you.
I have really enjoyed doing these posts over this past year. It is hard to believe that I will only have one more and then we will be into 2024! This year has just flown by!
In this post I am sharing all of the things I cooked and or ate for my main meals over the past seven days! I did eat out a few times this week (which isn't normal) but wherever I have, I had shared a "like" dish for you to cook in place of the one that I had eating out. I have also provided menu suggestions for what to serve along side of the main dish.
I'll be honest here, I have yet to find a restaurant supper here that holds a candle to what I cook for myself at home! But what occasionally eating out does afford me is the pleasure of eating in the company of others. As a person who lives by themself, this is a real treat! If you live by yourself you will know exactly what I am talking about! Someone to talk to other than the television or the cats!
Anyways, I hope you enjoy these meals and recipes which I am sharing with you this week. Everything (except for the Prime Rib) is pretty affordable and delicious. Simple as well. I hope you will be inspired to want to cook some of them for yourself and or your family!
As Jackie Gleason would say, (And I am dating myself here) "And Away we go!"
SUNDAY, December 17th - Sunday Dinner at Cindy's
Every Sunday night, for the most part, I go to my sisters for Sunday Dinner. Usually she will cook a roast dinner of some sort. This week was no different. Pot roast with vegetables and all the trimmings. For dessert some cake and ice cream.
I am sharing my recipe for Perfectly Cooked Prime Rib, just in case some of you have a Prime Rib you are wanting to cook for Christmas or New Years Dinner. This is how I cooked it when I cooked at the Manor and it turns out beautifully every time.
MONDAY, December 18th - Dinner out with Dad and Cindy
Oh Monday was such a miserable day. Rainy and windy. We had to take dad up country to get his latest Covid Booster for mid afternoon. We decided if we were going to be in New Minas we would also do a few errands and then we went out to lunch at the Big Stop which dad had not been to in a while. He used to go there all the time when he was more mobile. Always with a lady friend.
The Big Stop is a restaurant attached to a Petrol Station. Usually their food is quite good. Dad had a cheeseburger, but Cindy and I were tempted by their Festive Chicken Burger. Alas it was not very good. I would rather have had one of my own Crispy Chicken Sandwiches, which is what you see above. Complete with a lush garlic mayo, brioche bun and sweet and tangy coleslaw vinaigrette topping. SOOO much better!
TUESDAY, December 19th - Baked Ham Slice
I had a thick center cut ham slice that needed using and I thought it would make a nice alternative for those of you who want something other than Turkey for Christmas and also have a smaller family to feed. This ham slice was rubbed with dry mustard powder and brown sugar and then roasted in milk.
The milk ensured a delicious tender and juicy finish. I enjoyed some of the ham with some twice baked potato casserole, sweet potatoes, baked beans, roasted beetroot and a nice hot biscuit. Oh, and some of my Millionaire relish as well. It was a delicious meal and I had enough ham to make a further casserole and then some to freeze.
WEDNESDAY, December 20th - Dinner out with Cindy, Dad and Hazel
On Wednesday nights each week go out to dinner with my father, his friend Hazel and sometimes my sister. We go to a local place called The Big Scoop. Its been here in town for way over 30 years now. They know us by name, just like Cheers! They always have the same table saved for us every week.
Their special was a Crispy Chicken Poutine with breaded chicken strips, bacon, cheese, gravy and fries. This is the closest recipe I have for anything near that to share with you. A Hot Turkey Poutine. With this you get hot turkey, turkey gravy, cheese, stuffing and fries. Some of you may have some leftover turkey and gravy to use up this week leftover from your Christmas lunch. This is a great way to use it!
THURSDAY, December 21st - Creamy Ham Fettuccini Casserole
I used up the leftover ham that I had saved on Thursday by baking it into a Creamy Ham Fettuccini Casserole. Oh boy was it ever some delicious and very easy to make as well. This small batch recipe feeds two people.
You have fettuccini pasta, with peas and ham, baked in a creamy cheese sauce, topped with buttered bread crumbs. I enjoyed this with a nice mixed salad on the side. Hearty eaters might want to add some crusty bread or rolls on the side as well.
FRIDAY, December 22nd - Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup
We had another really frigid, blustery day. It was a soup day for sure. I about froze my butt off just checking the mail, and there was nothing there so I froze my butt off for nothing! LOL
Oh well, at least I had a lovely hot bowl of Italian Wedding Soup to help warm me up and make up for any disappointment from not getting any post! This is a meal in and of itself with juicy flavor filled meatballs, acini pasta, spinach, carrots, onions and celery in a rich broth. Hearty and delicious! I enjoyed some crusty bread with mine.
SATURDAY, December 23rd - Macaroni, Cheese & Tomato Bake (for two)
This is one of my favorite recipes that I downsized for the smaller family. Easy to make. What you have here is a base of pasta in a deliciously simple tomato sauce. A rich and cheesy bechamel sauce gets slathered on top and then you crush some cracker crumbs over top of that.
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- 1/2 pound (230g) ground pork (25 to 30%fat)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp crumbled sage leaves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 1/4 cups (293g) plain all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (116g) cold butter, cut into chunks
- 1 cup (240ml) cold buttermilk (I needed about 1/4 cup more/60ml)
- 1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
- kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 1 TBS oil
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, rubbed between your fingers
- 3 to 4 large free range eggs
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Line a small baking sheet with some baking parchment. Set aside.
- Measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Drop in the butter pieces.
- Cut the butter in using a pastry blender, two round bladed knives or a fork, until you have a mixture resembling coarse bread crumbs with some pieces the size of small peas.
- Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk. Mix together with a fork until you have a soft dough that is not dry or crumbly. If you need to add a bit more buttermilk at this point, do so. Your mixture should not be dry at all.
- Knead gently a few times to bring together, then tip out onto a floured countertop. Press out and fold over on itself about a half dozen times, finally patting the dough out to a 1/2 inch thickness.
- Using a sharp round metal cutter, stamp out (straight up and down) 6 to 8 biscuits. Don't twist the cutter and try to get as many cuts as you can from the first cutting.
- Bring the scraps together and repeat until you have used all the dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Keep warm while you make the remainder of the breakfast.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the potato slices, seasoning them lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Uncover and flip over. Cover and cook on the other side, repeating until golden brown.
- Ideally I would begin this the night before. If not then start at least an hour before you want to cook the sausage. I put the seasonings in my spice grinder to blitz them a bit finer. Combine all of the ingredients thoroughly by hand. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
- The next morning, divide into 2 to 3 equal sized balls and flatten into patties. Add these to the potatoes in the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until evenly browned and cooked through the center.
- Keep warm while you cook your eggs.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the cream and season with the salt, pepper and rosemary. Cook just until it thickens and begins to bubble.
- Crack in the eggs, lower the heat slightly, and then cover and cook, poaching the eggs in the flavor infused cream for 5 to 6 minutes or until your eggs are as set or as runny as you enjoy them.
- Divide the sausage, potatoes and eggs between heated plates and pass the warm biscuits.
- I served with some orange juice, sliced oranges and small pots of butter and Christmas Marmalade for spreading.
Some other lovely breakfast ideas that I have shared in The English Kitchen are:
SCRAMBLED EGGS BENEDICT - All the components of a regular Eggs Benedict except using scrambled eggs instead of poached. This is delicious and actually the way I prefer to make my Eggs Benedict.
SAVOURY SAUSAGE BREAKFAST BAKE - Buttery croissants stuffed with browned sausage, cheese, mushrooms, spring onions and eggs. It needs to be made the night before so plan ahead. Fabulous! Its a recipe I have been making for years and is great for when you are having company!
A Little Women Breakfast
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound (230g) ground pork (25 to 30%fat)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp crumbled sage leaves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 1/4 cups (293g) plain all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (116g) cold butter, cut into chunks
- 1 cup (240ml) cold buttermilk (I needed about 1/4 cup more/60ml)
- 1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
- kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 1 TBS oil
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, rubbed between your fingers
- 3 to 4 large free range eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Line a small baking sheet with some baking parchment. Set aside.
- Measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Drop in the butter pieces.
- Cut the butter in using a pastry blender, two round bladed knives or a fork, until you have a mixture resembling coarse bread crumbs with some pieces the size of small peas.
- Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk. Mix together with a fork until you have a soft dough that is not dry or crumbly. If you need to add a bit more buttermilk at this point, do so. Your mixture should not be dry at all.
- Knead gently a few times to bring together, then tip out onto a floured countertop. Press out and fold over on itself about a half dozen times, finally patting the dough out to a 1/2 inch thickness.
- Using a sharp round metal cutter, stamp out (straight up and down) 6 to 8 biscuits. Don't twist the cutter and try to get as many cuts as you can from the first cutting.
- Bring the scraps together and repeat until you have used all the dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Keep warm while you make the remainder of the breakfast.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the potato slices, seasoning them lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Uncover and flip over. Cover and cook on the other side, repeating until golden brown.
- Ideally I would begin this the night before. If not then start at least an hour before you want to cook the sausage. I put the seasonings in my spice grinder to blitz them a bit finer. Combine all of the ingredients thoroughly by hand. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
- The next morning, divide into 2 to 3 equal sized balls and flatten into patties. Add these to the potatoes in the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until evenly browned and cooked through the center.
- Keep warm while you cook your eggs.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the cream and season with the salt, pepper and rosemary. Cook just until it thickens and begins to bubble.
- Crack in the eggs, lower the heat slightly, and then cover and cook, poaching the eggs in the flavor infused cream for 5 to 6 minutes or until your eggs are as set or as runny as you enjoy them.
- Divide the sausage, potatoes and eggs between heated plates and pass the warm biscuits.
- I served with some orange juice, sliced oranges and small pots of butter and Christmas Marmalade for spreading.
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