The Charmed Kitchen

Broccoli Soup

I have to admit it- I love broccoli. Love it steamed, in salad, stir fried.  Still it is nice to try it as something other than a side dish.This soup will make it easy to get more veggies in your diet and it takes pretty good, too. I left it as is today, but you can also puree it for a different effect. No matter how you finish it off- it is yummy- but then I love broccoli.

Broccoli Soup

1 lb. Broccoli

2 leeks, trimmed, washed and cut in 1 inch pieces

1 T. butter

1 clove minced garlic

1/8 t. red pepper flakes

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

6 c. chicken or vegetable stock

¼ t. nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel broccoli stems and cut into 1- inch strips. Cut flowerets into small pieces. Cook leeks in butter 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve as is or puree if desired.. Serves 4-6.

Note: If you like your broccoli less cooked just add it 5-10 minutes after the rest of the ingredients.

Vegan Tomato Soup

I can already imagine what my meat loving friends are thinking. “Why bother?” Seriously this is awesome soup that even a die hard carnivore can love. On Christmas Eve I was given the task of preparing the vegan portion of the meal. The mains for the 2 vegans was not an issue. I cook meatless quite often. It was the fact that the soup course was also to be vegan for the 20 plus guests expected for dinner. Not just dinner- Christmas Eve dinner. The pressure was on. The hostess, Amy McWilliam, was thinking of a creamy tomato soup- made with either coconut or soy milk. I decided to do a rich vegetable base and then puree it with canned tomatoes. As I progressed I added spices to create a soup with layers of flavor to it. That really is the secret- and not just in vegan cooking. I didn’t use any “milk” in the end. It didn’t need it.  I ended up with a soup that was very well received- even by Amy’s father-in law who had also just enjoyed prime rib.  I decided to make it today- mostly because I wanted to make it again before I forgot what I did. Here is the recipe. I hope you give it a try. You might be surprised at just how much you like it. The side benefit is this is a great way to get a few more veggies in your diet.

 Vegan Tomato Soup

1/4 c. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

4 c. mixed vegetables, chopped- I used carrots, celery and cabbage, but use what you have and like

2 c. peeled, chopped sweet potato, about1 large- you can use white potatoes if you prefer

4 c. water

1 bay leaf

1T. sweet paprika

1T. Italian Seasoning

1 t. smoked paprika

1 t. cumin

1/4 -1/2 cayenne pepper

salt to taste

1 qt. canned tomatoes

fresh basil for garnish, optional

In soup pot saute onions in oil until just getting a little color on them. Add garlic and cook a couple of minutes longer. Add remaining vegetables, water and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender- about  20-30  minutes. Add seasonings and adjust to your taste. remove the bay leaf. Add the tomatoes and puree the soup in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender. Once soup is smooth adjust seasonings, if needed. Warm soup before ladling into bowl. Garnish with basil, if desired. Makes about 4 quarts. Freezes well.

Note: When blending a hot soup in a blender remove the plastic insert in the middle of the lid and cover the lid with a towel. Hot liquids will splash up when the blender is turned on. The reason I don’t add the tomatoes until the soup is cooked is to cool the soup down a little to make blending easier.

Simmering the soup

Home canned tomatoes

Blending the soup

Warm Bread Pudding

This time of year I think we are all looking for a little comfort. One of my favorite comfort foods is bread pudding. You don’t need and exact recipe and you can toss in extras like fresh or dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips or toasted seeds. Spices add extra flavor, too. Have fun and be creative. For the recipe I made today I added extra raisins to a raisin Challah bread.

Bread Pudding

1 loaf Challah bread, cubed

4 eggs

2 c. milk- you can use regular milk, half and half or even a non- dairy milk. I used a mixture of almond milk and evaporated milk. You can even use a little fruit juice if that is what you like

1/4 c. sugar- or to taste. The almond milk I used was a little sweet so I cutback on sugar

2 t. vanilla

2 t. cinamomn

1/2 c. raisins

Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over the bread cubes and toss until evenly coated. Place in a buttered casserole dish and bake, covered in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes or so- until top browns up a little. Serves 6-8.

I think one of my favorite foods is soup. I’d eat it on all but the hottest days- and even then I’d eat a cold soup. Many soups are a whole meal all by themselves. As an added bonus they can be an easy way of eating more of the foods we all know we should eat more- vegetables. Seriously, do you like to eat vegetables without butter on them? I don’t. But if you simmer veggies in a rich stock you don’t need the added butter. Super healthy and easy, too. Win win.

Winter Greens Soup

I made this soup this morning and I am enjoying a bowl as I am writing this. It is so wonderful. Always a hit with friends, too.

2 T. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 c. chopped celery

2 qts. chicken stock

1 bunch collard greens, rinsed, trimmed and sliced into strips. About 8 cups

4 c. chopped cooked chicken

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 c. nutritional yeast*

2 T. Tuscan seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

healthy dash- or more- of hot sauce

Saute onion in oil until just turning brown. Add carrots and saute a few minutes longer. Add celery and stock and cook a few minutes before adding greens and chicken. Add remaining ingredients and cook until veggies are tender. Collard greens do not need to be cooked until mushy. They will be tender in 10-15 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

* Nutritional yeast adds nutrients and great flavor.It is available in health food stores and some grocery stores.

Onions and carrots cooking

Collard greens

Chicken simmering

Nutritional yeast

Ready to Serve

Peppermint Candy Tray

My friend Sue saw someone make these on TV and wanted to try it- so we did. The trays are just peppermint candies that are melted in the oven and cooled. Cool, huh? we also made a bowl. The process is pretty simple. Preheat your oven to 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Unwrap the candies and place them about 1/4 -1/2 – inch apart on the baking sheet. We set the timer for 5 minutes- but they actually took about 10 minutes to melt and come together in a flat “tray.” Remove from the oven and cool a few minutes- you can trim the edges once they have cooled a little- but before they are completely cool or they will have gotten hard and will shatter.  The first attempt was super easy. The second time we arranged them in a circle and melted them as the first batch. Took it out of the oven and placed it on top of a metal bowl to cool. The result is a bowl made from candy. Fun project to do with kids. Special thanks to Sue Larick for her help- and the fact that she actually had peppermints, Martha Shaw for helping in unwrapping them all and Kat Ro- well just for being here in time to “Ooh and Ah.”

Lined up for baking

Melting in the oven

Making the bowl

Melted and HOT!

Cooling over a metal bowl

My finished “candy” bowl

Powder sugar on the angel wings

The holiday tradition continues. we have been making these at Christmas my whole life. I have many happy memories of making them with my parents and my brother. Added to the group are  Tracy, Jeff and their sons Zack and Cody. The dough is like a pasta dough. Best results are from rolling them very thin and not letting the dough dry out. Many hands make the task much easier.  We use a pasta machine which Jeff uses to roll the dough. Tracy cuts and shapes them and I fry them up. The boys move them to a big table and dust them with powdered sugar. Super Yummy. Thanks for the help gang- we had so much fun. Special thanks to Phil for getting pizza- got to feed the crew!!

These cookies are not for the timid, but they are truly a delicacy. This a an old family recipe and even to this day we make them around the holidays. My late father, who was a professional baker, came up with the idea to roll the dough out using the pasta machine. What a difference. The dough is really closer to a pasta dough than a cookie dough. The sweetness is added later in the form of powdered sugar. When made correctly, angel wings fall apart as you eat them. Of, course, remnants of powdered sugar on your shirt is always a giveaway as to who had been into the cookies.

Angel Wings/ Flancate / Chrischiki

8 egg yolks

2 ½ -3 c. flour, plus extra for rolling

½ c. white wine*

1 t. salt

oil or shortening for deep frying, you can even use lard.

powdered sugar for sprinkling

Combine egg yolks, wine and salt mixing until smooth. Stir in 2 cups of the flour and continue adding flour until dough is very firm, but still pliable. It is better to add more flour later than to add too much too soon. Knead or mix the dough in a mixer for 5-8 minutes. Kneading dough, or mixing in a stand mixer strengthens the dough. Divide dough into thirds, cover and allow to rest 1 hour.

On lightly floured surface roll dough out into thin strips. Cut strips diagonally into 1 ½ inch wide pieces. Cut a small slit in middle of dough and pull one end through, pulling until dough is long and somewhat twisted. Work with small amount of dough at a time to avoid drying out. Dry dough will tear and be hard to work with. You can use a pizza cutter or a pastry wheel with a zigzag edge. Cook dough, a few pieces at a time in a skillet with either oil or shortening 2 inches deep and heated to a temperature of 375 degrees. Pastry will cook in 30 seconds or so. Remove when lightly brown and drain on paper toweling. Cool and dust with powdered sugar. Makes about 200, depending on how thin you can roll them.

Note: If you have access to a pasta machine, the rolling time will be greatly reduced. Use the machine to roll the dough uniformly and quickly. There is no substitute for experience. After making a batch you will learn just how the dough should feel and how thick to roll the dough. Also, get a friend or two to help you. The are a lot of jobs to do and the time will fly with some assistance. Besides, you’ll have plenty to share with family and friends.

• You can use any table wine, really or even add a little vinegar (1-2 T.) to the wine

Freshly made dough

They grow a lot. One on the left is fried the others are still raw.

Angel Wings ready for eating!!!

Chinese Almond Cookies

Cookie Baking Know How

Types of Cookies

Bar- Spread or pressed into pans, baked and cut into squares

Drop– Soft dough dropped or spooned onto baking sheet, very quick and easy

Rolled- Dough is normally chilled then rolled out on wax paper or floured surface, cut into shapes

Refrigerator– Dough is rolled into logs, usually chilled and then sliced and baked

Pressed- Pressed through a machine into shapes or strips, usually very rich

Molded- Sturdy dough shaped by hand and often decorated later

Ingredients

Butter is usually best and never use diet margarine unless the recipe was specifically designed to use it.

Use only pure granulated sugar when recipes call for “sugar”. Some less expensive brands are a sucrose and dextrose blend and may cause crisp cookies to be soft. This type of sugar also cannot be used in jelly recipes.

All-purpose flour is best although you can use some whole wheat pastry flour. You’ll need to experiment a little, substituting about ¼ of the regular flour for the whole wheat pastry flour. Some recipes may react better than others to the higher fiber flour. Avoid regular whole wheat flour and don’t use flour labeled as bread flour.

Eggs means large eggs unless otherwise stated and should be used at room temperature if possible.

Baking

Check cookies at minimum time listed in recipe. If cookies are browning on the bottom too quickly but not fully baked try doubling the cookie sheets. It will give you a little more insulation on the bottom and costs far less than buying air-bake cookies sheets.

Don’t open the oven any more than needed and close promptly. Every peek causes the temperature to drop 25 degrees and will add to the bottom heat the cookies endure as the oven re-heats itself.

Don’t place cookies too close to the edge of pans with sides. They radiate heat and can burn cookie edges. Leave about 1 ½ -2 inches or turn the pan over and bake on the bottom. There will be no sides and you can bake closer to the edge of the pan.

Shiny pans are better for cookies and dark pans are better for breads.

Grease pans with solid shortening or butter (when baking temperatures are less than 375-degrees) or use non-stick spray. Unless called for don’t use oil it will sometime stick.

Note: Don’t grease pans unless the recipe calls for you to do so. Cookies baked on greased sheets will spread out more so allow more space between dough.

Storing and Freezing

To store crisp cookies place in a container with a loose-fitting lid or cover lightly with foil. Sealing crisp cookies up can sometimes make them get soggy. In humid weather, however you might want to keep them in sealed containers in the freezer and just remove a few to defrost as needed.

Soft cookies should always be stored in containers with tight fitting lids to prevent hardening. In humid weather place them between layers of wax paper to prevent sticking.

If you want to mail cookies avoid crisp and frosted types. Soft cookies travel best.

Both raw cookie dough and baked cookies can be frozen. If you have the freezer space it can be a great help to get some of your holiday baking out of the way ahead of time.

Dough can be frozen 6-9 months.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags. Always label and date the package. Defrost in refrigerator and bake as directed.

Cookies can be frozen up to a year, but will begin to lose some of their flavor after 6 months. Use sturdy container and place layers of plastic wrap between cookies to prevent drying out. You should defrost cookies in their container, with the lid on to keep the cookies from getting soggy. When thawing there will be condensation on the package. If you take the cookies out of their container while frozen condensation will form on the cookies. Not so much of a problem with crisp cookies, but soft cookies are very moist and tend to get wet if defrosted unwrapped. If you only want to remove some of the cookies you can just place them in a bag and leave seal it up. Leave them to thaw on the counter and any condensation will form on the bag.

Remember: Your cookies are only as good as the ingredients you use. Dried fruits should be moist and fresh. Nuts should be stored in a freezer or refrigerator until ready to use. Make sure they have not gotten stale or rancid. Taste one to be sure. If nuts don’t taste fresh, pitch them and buy fresh. Nuts should stay fresh in the fridge for 3-6 months and frozen for up to a year (some will stay fresh a bit longer, so taste to be safe).

Before starting always make sure you have all the ingredients out and ready to use,

To save time around the holidays I like to do all my mixing in one evening (or afternoon) and then refrigerate or freeze the dough for baking on another day. I can make a dozen batches or dough at one time then put away all the mixing bowls and ingredients. If I am doing cookies that require decorating after baking I will often do that on yet another day to keep any one job as simple as possible. Remember, with the exception of bar cookies, most cookies bake for very short times and over bake before you know it. When baking them I like to have as few distractions as possible and always use a timer.

Snow People

These cookies are cute and fun to make. If you don’t have mini M&M’s for the eyes or buttons you can use frosting.

Snow People

Dough:

3 ½ c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 c. butter

1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened

2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

¼ t. almond extract

Decorations:

Mini chocolate chips or mini M&Ms

Kisses or mini peanut butter cups, halved

Frosting:

2 c. powdered sugar

Few drops green food coloring

Milk

Extra powdered sugar for sprinkling

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and flavorings then stir in dry ingredients. Chill dough overnight. For each snow person rolls out 3 balls of dough1-inch, ¾-inch and ½-inch in diameter. Place balls in descending order on ungreased baking sheet. Press together lightly. Because these cookies will flatten and spread when baked leave 2 inches between cookies. Use 2 mini chocolate chips for eyes in smallest ball and use either chips or M&Ms for buttons (2 on largest ball and 1 in medium). Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for about 18 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute then remove to rack to finish cooling. Combine powdered sugar with green food coloring and just enough milk to make a frosting that can be piped. Use a little dab of frosting to attach either a chocolate kiss (unwrapped) or half of a peanut butter cup as a hat. Pipe a small amount of frosting to form a scarf. Dust cookies with a little extra powdered sugar for snow when finished decorating. Makes about 48 cookies.

Forest of Sugar Cookie Trees

Sugar cookies are always fun because of the possibilities. With cutters in all shapes and sizes you can create magic. This season I made trees, snowflakes and for a friend who raises sheep I even made a flock of sheep cookies. Cream wafers are one of the most elegant cookies around. Delicate and buttery the dough is made from only 3 ingredients- butter, whipping cream and flour. They are rolled and dusted with sugar before baking and then frosted and  turned into a sandwich cookie. One of the most loved of all the cookies I make. I hope you will try these recipes.

Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

3 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

3 T. milk

Extra sugar for sprinkling, if desired

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Beat in milk. Heat oven to 375-degrees. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to about 1/3- inch thickness. Cut out with lightly floured cutters and sprinkle with sugar or colored sugar if you like and if you are not going to frost them. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool completely. Frost when cooled. Makes about 4 dozen.

Decorating your cookies:

You can use tube of pre-made frosting or you can tint canned frosting, however the best way is to use royal icing. Because royal icing contains egg whites it gets hard. Cookies have a smooth appearance and can be stacked. When making royal icing ALWAYS USE PASTUERIZED EGG WHITES OR POWDERED EGGS WHITES TO PREVENT SAMONELLA.

You can also use colored sugar and sprinkles and mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Royal Icing

1 lb. powdered sugar

½ t. cream of tartar

5¼ t. egg white powder

6 T. water

½ t. vanilla, optional

Assorted food colorings

In large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and mix well. Add water and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Divide into small bowls and tint each batch as needed. Keep bowl covered with a damp towel while waiting to use so frosting will not dry out.

Kaey’s Flock of sheep Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookie Snowflakes

Cream Wafers

Cream Wafers

 1 c. butter

1/3 c. heavy whipping cream

2 c. flour

extra fine or granulated sugar

Frosting:

¼ c. butter, softened

¾ c. powdered sugar

1 T. milk

1 t. vanilla

food coloring, if desired

Mix butter, cream and flour well. Wrap and chill at least an hour. Roll chilled dough 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured board.  Cut out into 1½ inch rounds or even little hearts or stars. Transfer cookies to a sheet of wax paper heavily coated with extra fine or granulated sugar and coat both sides. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and  prick each cookie 4 times with a fork. Bake at 375-degrees 7-9 minutes until lightly browned and puffy. Cool on rack. Mix frosting ingredients. Put 2 cookies together with frosting to make “sandwiches”.

Butter Cookies

Still baking and got a couple more off the “to do” list. Butter cookies are a classic and are easy to make. Great cookies to make with kids. The other is an Almond Cookie. Also a classic and also easy and fast.

Versatile Butter Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

2 ¼ c. flour

1 t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

Beat sugar and butter together until fluffy and then beat in egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and stir into butter mixture. Chill dough at least a couple of hours. Roll dough into ¾-1 inch balls and roll in sugar, sprinkles or nuts. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375 –degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will flatten somewhat. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Variations: You can bake plain cookies and then dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate and then in chopped nuts or sprinkles.

Form into balls and place on baking sheet then press a nutmeat into the center of each. When cool you can drizzle with a small amount of melted chocolate or glaze.

Chinese Almond Cookies

Almond Cookies

¾ c. sugar

¾ c. softened butter

1 egg

2 T. water

1 t. baking powder

1 t. almond extract

¼ t. salt

2 ½ c. flour

whole almonds, about 1/3 c.

Combine all ingredients except flour and nuts and beat until smooth. Stir in flour. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2” apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Dip bottom of buttered glass in sugar and use it to flatten cookies a little. Press an almond into the center of each. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 8-12 minutes. Cookies should be firm to the touch, but not brown. Makes 3-4 dozen.