Monthly Archives: November 2020

Russian Tea Biscuits

Russian Tea Biscuits

Russian tea biscuits are like a kind of cookie. A magical cookie, filled with jam and raisins and nuts. The are crispy, tender and rich. They also are not all that sweet, which appeals to me. You can serve them as a dessert, but also serve them with breakfast or brunch. And of course, with your tea or coffee.

I can remember the first time I ever had a Russian tea biscuit. It was at the Cedar-Lee theater. I guess you could say I got my love for foreign films and Russian pastry at the same place. I found a recipe in my mother’s recipe collection. I tried them and they were pretty close to the ones at the Cedar-Lee. I did tweak that recipe a bit.

My only regret was not having raspberry jam. That is my favorite. The swirl of red in the biscuits is very pretty. I used what I had- peach- and am happy with them. Not as colorful, but very tasty, all the same.

Here is the recipe. I think you might want to try these with that next cup of tea.

Russian Tea Biscuits

3½ c. flour

½ c. sugar

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

¼ t. salt

1 c. butter, softened

2 eggs, separated

½ c. orange juice

1 1/3 c. preserves, (strawberry, raspberry, plum or apricot are favorites)

1 c. chopped walnuts

1 c. raisins, dark or golden

1 t. cinnamon

3 T. sugar

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and cut in butter until mixture is the size of peas. Stir in egg yolks and orange juice. Knead until dough is well blended. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll out a piece of dough 1/4 -inch thick into an 8×10-inch rectangle. Spread with 1/3 c. of the preserves and sprinkle with 1/4 c. each of the raisins and nuts. Roll up jelly roll fashion and set, seam side down, on ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Beat egg whites until foamy and brush on dough. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on dough. Bake in a 350-degee oven for 25-35 minutes, or until golden. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. They can be golden, but a little under baked in the middle. Slice while warm into 6 pieces for each roll. Makes 24.

Biscuits right out of the oven. You want to get them a nice golden brown. The cracks on top are normal and not a problem.
Slice while still warm

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I have to thank my friend, Vicky Singleton, for the inspiration of this recipe. She asked if I had ever made chicken pot pie soup. I hadn’t. I told her I hadn’t ever heard of it. She explained to me what it was.

So what exactly is Chicken Pot Pie Soup? Imagine the ingredients of a pot pie, only in a soup. Then imagine using baked pie crust like croutons on the soup. A classic casserole, presented in soup form.

You want this soup to be creamy, like a pot pie filling. How “thickened” is really up to you. I didn’t want my soup to be as thick as a pot pie, but I wanted it thickened, so I played around with the amount of flour I added to it. Half a cup of flour worked perfectly for me, but you can add 1/4 cup more flour if you want a thicker soup.

The vegetable selection has some wiggle room, too. I think green beans would be a nice addition, I just didn’t have any. That is the fun part of making your own version. I think I might add mushrooms to the next batch.

I could see making this soup with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving.

I made my own pie crust, but feel free to use store bought. The recipe for the crust is at the bottom of this post. I used cookie cutters, but you could cut the crust out free-hand into little squares or triangles.

So here is the version of Chicken Pot Pie Soup I came up with. I hope you’ll give it a try. You can thank Vicky.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Dough for 2 pie crusts – recipe follows

3 T. oil or butter

1 large onion, chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thin

1 c. sliced celery

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 c. fresh or frozen corn

3 c. cooked chicken, diced

8 c. chicken stock

1 c. peas, fresh or frozen

½ c. flour

¼ c. fresh chopped parsley- or 1 T. dried

Salt and pepper to taste

The pie dough makes the croutons for the top of the soup. You can use homemade pie crust or store bought. Roll out the crust to about 1/8-inch thick and cut out in pretty shapes to top your soup. Re roll scraps and place all the cut out dough pieces on an ungreased baking sheet. It will take two sheets for all the dough.  Bake in a 350 degree until golden, about 7-10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack.

In a soup pot, heat up the butter or oil and add the onions, cooking until onions are tender. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, corn and 7 cups of the stock. Set the remaining cup of stock aside for now. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender. Place the reserved stock in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Add the flour, close jar tightly and shake until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour/stock mixture to the soup along with the peas and parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered 5 minutes- or a little longer. Adjust seasonings.

Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with some the pie crust croutons. Serves 6-8.

Flaky Pie Crust

2 c. flour
1 t. salt
3/4 c. butter, chilled – you could also use chilled coconut oil, lard or shortening
1 T. cider vinegar
4-5 T. cold water

Combine flour and salt and cut in butter. Toss in vinegar and water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough holds together. Use a fork to toss the ingredients together and as soon as the mixture holds together stop adding water. Makes 2. Chill well before using.

Halloween Candy Mini Cheesecakes

Halloween Candy Mini Cheesecakes

I am posting this as a public service to those of you with leftover Halloween candy.

Sometimes you end up with leftover Halloween candy. You could just eat the candy- or you can transform it into a dessert.

The idea I came up with was mini cheesecakes. I’ve made them before, so I used my recipe, and just folded in crushed candy bars. Once the cheesecakes cool they deflate a little, so I also added some crushed candy bars to the top to make them look nice.

Only change from the original recipe was a slight decrease in sugar, to compensate for the extra sweetness of the candy. I went down to 1/3 cup of sugar. I think 1/4 cup would also have been enough.

I am sure a lot of different candy bars would work. I used a small food processor to really crush up the candy bars. I made 2 batches, one with cookies and cream candy bars and the other with Kit Kat bars.

Since the candy will keep, you could use the candy in a Thanksgiving dessert. Of course, the candy might not last until Thanksgiving.

Halloween Candy Mini Cheesecakes

12 vanilla wafers
2 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs

2/3 c. crushed candy bars plus 1/4 c. crushed candy bar, for topping

Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 wafer in each. Beat together remaining ingredients (except candy)  for 1 minute with an electric mixer. Fold in candy. Divide this mixture in the muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool and decorate with extra crushed candy. Makes 12. These can be frozen.