What To Eat On Christmas Morning?

Christmas Coconut Scones Served with 
Cranberry Orange Macadamia Nut Butter…What Else!
This is a delicious tropical combo to eat on Christmas morning. Wait until your family sees what you've made for them… this could be the best Christmas gift you've given! Serve with heated apple cider with a cinnamon stick in each cup.

Christmas Coconut Scones
These scones are very easy to make, and are flaky and moist on the inside, perfect for kids, adults, and Santa.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into 6-8 pieces
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
approximately 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add butter and toss to coat. Using your finger tips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles very coarse sand. A few larger bits are ok, but most should be smaller than a pea. Stir in shredded coconut. Add in about 1/3 cup of coconut milk and stir into dough with a fork. Add remaining coconut milk as needed until dough comes together into a shaggy ball. Knead lightly with your hand until dough is smooth. Divide dough into two balls and press each into a disc about 1/2-inch thick on prepared baking sheet. Cut each disc into quarters and separate slightly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until scones are a light golden brown on top, but check the bottoms as well so they don't burn. Cool on a wire rack before serving with a pat of Cranberry Orange Macadamia Nut Butter, or your favorite jam, like Mango-Lime Marmalade, or Lilikoi Butter.
Makes 8 scones.

Note: Scones are best eaten the day they're baked. To work ahead, freeze unbaked scones in a single layer, then store in a zip-top bag, up to 2 months.


Cranberry Orange Macadamia Nut Butter
This is what is known as a "compound butter". Basically it's butter mixed with other ingredients (sweet or savory) to enhance the flavor of another dish. The ingredients vary depending on what you are trying to enhance, sort of like a sauce varies. In this case, we have a butter that tastes of the Holidays, and not overly sweet. A compound butter that enhances the flavor of muffins, waffles, biscuits, etc. It's perfect spread on coconut scones on Christmas morning.

Ingredients:

1 cup salted butter, softened

1/2 cup finely chopped sweetened dried cranberries, divided

3 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/3 cup macadamia nuts, chopped & toasted

Procedure:
In a small bowl combine butter, 2 tablespoons chopped cranberries, orange zest, juice, salt

and powdered sugar.

On a flat surface place a large piece of parchment paper or wax paper. Spoon butter mixture into a 1-1/2-inch thick log on the paper.

Fold 1 edge of paper over the butter mixture and wrap or tuck it under the butter mixture. Smooth sides into an even log. Twist ends of paper in opposite directions to seal. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove parchment paper and roll the butter log in remaining chopped cranberries and toasted macadamia nuts. The cranberries and nuts stick better if you let the butter soften for 15-20 minutes. Reroll butter log in parchment paper and seal ends. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Slice into pats to serve.

Note: Instead of rolling a compound butter in parchment paper, you can be put the butter mixture in small ramekins the refrigerate until ready to use. For other compound butter recipe ideas, click here.