Cream of Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Thank you to Lawrence my wonderful Godson for my beautiful Soup Cup for my Godmother's Day present. I love it!  💗

Soup weather is what it is at the moment.  I tend to make a pot of soup at least once a week.  What we don't eat I take to work for lunch.

I have always loved the tinned variety of cream of chicken soup and wondered if I could make one that would rival or better the tinned variety.

This one went down well with Scott who is not a huge soup person (unless its Tomato soup then he is all over it).

I used the left overs from a roasted chicken with this, you could use a BBQ chicken from the shop or poach some chicken for this, if your going to poach it use the chicken stock from this recipe make it do double duty and you will get more flavour.

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1 leek, quartered and sliced

2 - 3 cups chicken meat, shredded

50 gm butter

1/4 cup plain flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

2-3 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper

Dice your carrot and potato to as small as you like, the smaller the quicker this cooks.

Make sure you wash your leek when chopped.

Melt the butter in your pot and saute the veg for about 5 minutes, remember to stir or the veg will stick.  Add your salt and pepper.

Add the flour and stir through, cook for 5 minutes constantly stirring to prevent the flour burning.

Add the milk and cream and stir until the flour is all combined and no lumps.  Add one cup of the stock and bring to a simmer.  Cook on a low simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the veg are cooked.

Add the cooked chicken to the soup.

At this stage you add more stock to the pot to thin the soup down to your desired consistency.  Heat for a further 10 minutes to ensure the chicken is heated through.  Remember to taste and adjust your seasoning.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love chocolate chip cookies of any kind!  I try and keep some in the freezer to pull out and cook fresh when I am in the mood, nothing beats a still warm, gooey cookie after dinner with a cup of tea or coffee or even a scoop of ice cream!

These cookies freeze brilliantly and are so nice with the white chocolate chips in as well as dark chocolate chips, you could swap out for milk chocolate if you wished.

150 gm butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

250 gm white chocolate chips or chunks

250 gm dark chocolate chips or chunks

Cream together butter and both sugars.

Beat until pale approx 8 minutes.

Beat in vanilla and egg until combined or approx 5 minutes.  Stir through sifted flour and baking powder until combined.

Stir through the chocolate chips.

Scoop onto cookie sheet with your cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure.  At this stage you can freeze for later.

Bake in 180C pre heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until brown around the edges.

These keep for up to a week in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Apple Turnovers

Happy French National Apple Pie Day!  I sure did not plan this but, Hey, I will claim it!

So to celebrate *giggle* we are having a good old fashion Apple Turnover!

This is such an easy and quick snack or dessert to make.  Three ingredients most people have some of them in the freezer and cupboard.  5 minutes work 20 minutes cooking and the longest time is to wait for them to cool a little before you stuff your face!

We used to get these at the local bakery and I tell you these are better.  If you make your own puff you can even freeze them uncooked and bake them later.

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 can apple pie filling

1 egg

sugar to sprinkle

Open your can.

Beat your egg.

Defrost your pastry.  Your now setup to make these little beauties!

Cut each sheet into 4 squares.

Place a dessert spoon of apple filling on each square.

Brush beaten egg lightly on 2 sides of each square.

Fold the pastry over to shape a triangle and gently press the edges together.  Place on a baking sheet and brush the top with beaten egg and then sprinkle sugar over.

Bake in a 220 C pre heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes just watch them at the end to ensure they don't burn.

Allow to cool and serve with whipped cream.  These can be eaten warm or cold.

Pear, Ginger and White Chocolate Cake

I think I have told you before that I love cooking shows,  my new fave is a show called My Life In France with Sarah Sharratt.  It is a great look at rural France and local ingredients and recipes.  This cake is based on one by Sarah but changed up to allow me to eat it.

It is Pear season here in Australia and I love finding new ways to use fruit and keep things interesting.  These can be made as one large cake, in Texas muffin tin size for desserts or as cupcakes for the family through the week.  Great addition to the kids lunchbox.  It is also easy to change up if you are baking for dairy or nut intolerant family members.

150 gm butter, room temperature

1 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

2 cups self raising flour

1 cm ginger grated or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 pears, cut into cm cubes

1 cup white chocolate chips

Peel and dice pear and place in cold water with a squeeze of lemon, this stops it going brown.

Beat your butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Make sure you drain and dry your pear, it won't be fully dried however you don't want a soggy cake.

Beat in your eggs individually, beat for 2 minutes between each addition.  Beat in flour.  Scrape the sides to make sure it is all combined.

Gently stir through the pear and chocolate chips.

Scoop into a buttered and floured texas muffin tin.  Bake at 180 C, if baking as one cake bake for 50 to 60 minutes, if in texas muffin tin for 30 minutes and as cupcakes for 20 minutes,

Allow to cool.

Dust with icing sugar.

Serve warm with hot custard or ice cream.