Tag: Dates

Eggnog Date Nut Bread

Note: I was sent a copy of Baking Secrets from the Bread Monk (paid link) in order to write this post for an Eggnog Date Nut Bread. Opinions are mine alone.

We hosted Christmas this year for the first time, so my house is stocked with half opened and half eaten, well, everything. My husband, a lifetime grazer, is in his element, but I am still trying to best use up ingredients to make new recipes, like using up any remaining eggnog to make this Eggnog Date Nut Bread!

I had exactly one cup of eggnog left in my fridge, so when I was paging through Baking Secrets from the Bread Monk (paid link) and found this recipe for Eggnog Date Nut Bread that uses one cup of eggnog, it felt a bit like destiny.

Baking Secrets from the Bread Monk is filled with Father Dominic’s favorite tips and tricks for baking, so this cookbook is a lovely read. He even includes substitutes for common ingredients, hints for kitchen organization and storage, advice on the best baking tools for the job, and fun historical facts and kitchen wisdom.

Some of you may know Father Dominic Garramone, known as “The Bread Monk,” from the PBS cooking show Baking Bread with Father Dominic that aired from 1999 to 2001. He also has a number of cookbooks (I have another cookbook I’m excited to share with you in the new year). I recently was lucky enough to catch him at a virtual event hosted by the Hillside Public Library and loved hearing about his passion for baking.

This specific recipe for Eggnog Date Nut Bread is found in the “Food Holiday Mash-ups and Recipes for All Seasons” chapter under December and doesn’t require yeast to make, or any kneading at all.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting pan
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup chopped dates
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

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Lamb and Roasted Cauliflower Stew with Harissa

It really takes me a while to adjust to colder weather. I feel like I’m always freezing! So a warm and hearty meal is a must this time of year, especially a soup or stew.

This recipe for Lamb and Roasted Cauliflower Stew with Harissa from Saveur ups the warmth with some spiciness from harissa, a hot chili pepper paste used in Middle-Eastern cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided (omit for dairy free)
  • 2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 whole tomatoes from a 14oz can of whole tomatoes (~1/2 of the can), chopped
  • 2 red onions, minced
  • 1⁄2 head cauliflower (cut into large florets)
  • 1⁄3 cup dry white wine
  • 1⁄4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 5 cups beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1⁄3 cup jarred harissa
  • 8 pitted dates, roughly chopped
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1⁄4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

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Fontina-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Dates

I honestly have no idea why some fresh dates caught my eye while I was shopping recently. Somehow, they ended up in my basket along with my usual ingredients: lemons, garlic, onions and peppers. I opened my fridge yesterday and realized my poor little dates were still sitting in there, so I decided today was the day to use them for a delicious appetizer I found on Brown Eyed Baker‘s site.
Ingredients:
An equal number of fresh dates, Fontina cheese, cut to fit inside the dates, and 4 inch pieces of Bacon
I made 6, using about 2 pieces of bacon
Preheat your broiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the dates half open, making sure not to cut the date fully in half.
Wedge a piece of cheese within each date.
Wrap the bacon around the date, overlapping the ends and placing them on the bottom to keep closed.
Broil for about 5 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them, broilers go from toasted to scorched in a matter of seconds.
That’s it! How easy. Not to mention, super tasty. The mix of salty bacon, sweet dates, and earthy cheese gives an almost buttery flavor to this appetizer. If serving this at a party, I’d suggest adding toothpicks so that guests can eat them a bit easier.
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