Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup

 

CREAMY TUSCAN TORTELLINI SOUP

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

 COOK TIME: 15 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

·   1 tablespoon olive oil

·   1/2 cup finely diced onion

·   1 cup diced carrots (about 3 medium carrots, peeled)

·   3 cloves garlic, finely minced

·   4 cups chicken broth (I use low-sodium)

·   28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

·   1 teaspoon dried basil

·   1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

·   1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

·   1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)

·   1/8 teaspoon black pepper

·   10 ounces cheese tortellini (see note)

·   1 1/2 cups milk

·   3 tablespoons flour

·   1 to 2 cans (15-ounces each) Great Northern, cannellini, or other white beans, rinsed and drained

·   2 cups cooked, diced or shredded chicken

·   2-3 cups lightly packed, torn or coarsely chopped fresh spinach

·   Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a 6- or 8-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions and carrots. Cover the pot and cook/sweat the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
2. Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the tortellini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tortellini are mostly tender (they'll continue to cook for a few minutes in the next step).
3. Whisk or blend the flour and milk together until smooth and add it to the soup, stirring constantly. Add the beans, chicken and spinach. Bring the soup to a low simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and all the ingredients are heated through and the tortellini are tender.
4. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.

NOTES

Tortellini: I usually use the Kirkland brand refrigerated cheese tortellini from Costco. It comes in 22-24 ounce packages. This recipe calls for 10 ounces tortellini, but for a thicker, heartier soup, you can double the tortellini amount (same goes for the beans, as noted in the ingredient list).

French Macarons here is the link to the instructional video https://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/french-macarons/

 

basic macaron recipe

Prep:1 hour

Cook:18 minutes

Total :1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

·         Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

·         Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

·         ▢100 g super fine almond flour Note 1

·         ▢75 g powdered sugar/confectioners sugar Note 2

·         ▢70 g egg whites, at room temperature (about 1/3 cup)

·         ▢75 g fine granulated sugar Note 3

·         ▢¼ teaspoon cream of tartar optional (Note 4)

·         ▢¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

·         ▢Gel food coloring if desired

For buttercream filling:

·         ▢2 large egg yolks

·         ▢¼ cup (50g) sugar

·         ▢3 ½ tablespoons milk

·         ▢½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened

·         ▢1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Note: I test all my recipes with both measurements for the most precise and accurate result!

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    To make macaron shells, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or teflon sheet, or silicone mat. (TIP 1: For even air circulation, flip the baking sheets upside down.)

2.    To prepare dry ingredients, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice. Note: If you have up to 2 tablespoons of chunky dry ingredients left in the sifter, you don’t have to replace it. Simply discard those chunky bits.

3.    To make meringue, in a clean mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium low speed until foamy. (I set it to speed 2 or 4 on my KitchenAid stand mixer.)

4.    When egg whites are foamy, add cream of tartar and salt and continue to whisk.

5.    Then slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time, while mixer is still running. Allow the sugar to dissolve after each addition.

6.    If you’re making colored shells, add gel food coloring when the meringue reaches soft peaks.

7.    Continue beating the egg whites on the same medium low speed until hard peaks form. Visual cues: Meringue should ball up inside the whisk, and when you lift the whisk, the meringue should hold a pointy end and have sharp ribs. (See pictures above or watch this meringue video for more information.)

8.    To make batter, sift almond flour mixture into the meringue. Using a silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until fully incorporated. Then continue to fold the batter until it’s runny enough to draw a figure eight. To test, take a small amount of batter and drop it into the bowl. If the small peaks dissolve into the batter on its own in about 10 seconds, the batter is ready. If not, fold couple more times and test again. Be careful not to over-fold the batter. (TIP: Making french macarons is all about the technique. This is one of the most crucial step. Let me try to describe the folding motion as best as I can: run the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. If you’re beginner macaron-baker, I suggest to count every fold. It takes roughly about 50 folds to reach the proper consistency. After 50 folds, start testing the batter, and continue testing after every couple folds.)

9.    To pipe macaron shells, transfer the batter into a pastry bag, fitted with a round tip. (I used this Wilton 2A tip.)

10. Hold the pastry bag at straight 90° angle and pipe about 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. (TIP 2: I made a perfect macaron template for you. Simply pipe the batter to fill inner circle.)

11. Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter (or using your hand) a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. You can also use a toothpick to burst some large air bubbles. This step ensures smooth tops.

12. Let the macarons sit out on the counter for at least 15-30 minutes, maybe up to couple hours, depending on humidity. When you lightly touch the macarons and the batter does not stick to your finger, then it’s ready to go into the oven.

13. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Note: I don’t use convection settings. I set my oven to heat from top and bottom.

14. To bake, working one baking sheet at a time, place one tray with macarons on the middle rack. (TIP: To prevent browning, place an empty baking sheet on top rack to shield the heat.) Bake for about 15-18 minutes. It’ll take longer for larger macarons. To test for doneness, touch a macaron lightly and try to move it. If it slides and wobbles, bake a minute or so longer. The cooked macarons should be firm to touch and the base shouldn’t move. (TIP: It’s always better to slightly over-bake macarons than under-bake them!)

15. Cool the macarons on the sheet for 10-15 minutes, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

16. To make the buttercream filling, in a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks slightly with a whisk and add sugar. Continue to whisk until the mixture is pale and sugar is mostly dissolved. Stir in the milk. Transfer the egg yolk mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring frequently. Continue to cook until it’s thick like pudding, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture back to the bowl and bring it to room temperature. Stir in the butter in three batches. Add vanilla extract and continue to mix until smooth. Transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag with round tip.

17. To assemble macarons, pair the macaron shells by size and arrange them on a wire rack.  Line them up so that bottom shells are upside down.

18. Pipe a dollop of filling on bottom shells. Place the top shell over the filling and press lightly so the filling spreads till the edges.

19. Store the filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 24 hours to mature, which allows the filling to soften and flavor the shells.

20. To serve, bring the macarons out about 30 minutes prior to serving.

Deaun's Famous Sugar Cookie Recipes

 3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder.  On low speed mixer cut in butter until cornmeal texture.  In small mixing bowl beat eggs and add sugar. Beat well.  Blend egg/sugar mixture into the flour/butter mixture.  Chill 2 hours.  Roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick.   Cut with floured cookie cutters.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

Deaun Wilkinson is a wonderful woman who lived in our ward.  She was Aria's Activity Day leader.  Her youngest daughter Jamie Wilkinson Webster now lives in the family home and continues to make her mom's sugar cookies.  This is how they make the cookies, but it also works to mix them the more traditional way.  The salt in the butter is enough salt for the cookies.

No-Knead Peasant Bread This bread is great and fast to make when you are making soup for dinner or any other time you want delicious warm bread

 

No-Knead Peasant Bread (makes 2 loaves)

INGREDIENTS

·         4 cups (512 g) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour

·         2 teaspoons (10 g) kosher salt

·         2 cups (454 g) lukewarm water (made by mixing 1.5 cups cold water with 0.5 cup boiling water)

·         2 teaspoons (8 g) sugar

·         2 ¼  teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast

·         room temperature butter, about 2 tablespoons

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INSTRUCTIONS

1.       Mixing the dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast Add the water. Mix until the flour is absorbed. (If you are using active dry yeast, see notes below.)

2.       Let it rise. Cover bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for at least an hour. (In the winter or if you are letting the bread rise in a cool place, it might take as long as two hours to rise.) This is how to create a slightly warm spot for your bread to rise in: Turn the oven on at any temperature (350ºF or so) for one minute, then turn it off. Note: Do not allow the oven to get up to 300ºF, for example, and then heat at that setting for 1 minute — this will be too hot. Just let the oven preheat for a total of 1 minute — it likely won’t get above 100ºF. The goal is to just create a slightly warm environment for the bread.

3.       Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Grease two 1-qt or 1.5-qt oven-safe bowls (see notes below) with about a tablespoon of butter each. Using two forks, punch down your dough, scraping it from the sides of the bowl, which it will be clinging to. As you scrape it down try to turn the dough up onto itself if that makes sense. You want to loosen the dough entirely from the sides of the bowl, and you want to make sure you’ve punched it down. Then, take your two forks and divide the dough into two equal portions — eye the center of the mass of dough, and starting from the center and working out, pull the dough apart with the two forks. Then scoop up each half and place into your prepared bowls. This part can be a little messy — the dough is very wet and will slip all over the place. Using small forks or forks with short tines makes this easier — my small salad forks work best; my dinner forks make it harder. It’s best to scoop it up fast and plop it in the bowl in one fell swoop.

4.       Let the dough rise again for about 20 to 30 minutes on the countertop near the oven (or near a warm spot) or until it has risen to just below or above (depending on what size bowl you are using) the top of the bowls. (Note: Do not do the warm-oven trick for the second rise, and do not cover your bowls for the second rise. Simply set your bowls on top of your oven, so that they are in a warm spot. Twenty minutes in this spot usually is enough for my loaves.)

5.       Bake it. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375º and bake for 15 to 17 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and turn the loaves onto cooling racks. If you’ve greased the bowls well, the loaves should fall right out onto the cooling racks. If the loaves look a little pale and soft when you’ve turned them out onto your cooling racks, place the loaves into the oven (outside of their bowls) and let them bake for about 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

 

Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Torte

 

Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Torte

Servings: 8 to 10

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 55 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST

·       1 cup pecans

·       3/4 cup all purpose flour

·       6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

·       4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

·       1/8 teaspoon salt

FOR THE FILLING

·       2 large eggs

·       1 (15-oz) can pure pumpkin, such as Libby's

·       1 (12 fl-oz) can evaporated milk

·       1/2 cup granulated sugar

·       1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

·       1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·       1-3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

·       1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·       1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

·       1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

·       1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·       1/4 teaspoon salt

FOR THE STREUSEL

·       1/3 cup all-purpose flour

·       1/4 cup rolled oats

·       1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

·       3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·       1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·       1/8 teaspoon salt

·       4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

·       3/4 cup chopped pecans

INSTRUCTIONS

1.        Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2.        Make the Crust: Combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared pan. Using your hands or the bottom of a dry measuring cup, pat into an even layer. Place the pan on a baking sheet for easy handling and set aside.

3.        Make the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the remaining filling ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour the filling over the crust in the pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the filling is set around the edges but still wobbly in the center.

4.        Make the Streusel Topping: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until well combined. Add the butter pieces and, using your fingers, rub the butter into the other ingredients until the mixture is evenly moistened and clumpy. Stir in the pecans and refrigerate until ready to use.

5.        Once the torte has baked for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the partially baked filling (don't worry that the filling is still a bit liquid; the topping will not sink). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more, until the filling is set and the topping is golden brown. Let the torte cool completely on a rack, about 4 hours. To serve, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the torte from the sides, then remove the outer ring from the springform pan and transfer the torte to a platter. Slice into wedges and serve with sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

6.        This torte is best made on the day of serving. Store leftovers, loosely covered with foil, in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.