Savory butternut squash soup with apples and bacon makes a chilly evening extra cozy. Karen Schneider / For The Forecaster
What could be better on a chilly night than a bowl of hot, wholesome soup with fresh, homemade cookies to look forward to later?
Like most soups, this butternut squash soup, with extras all roasted in the oven, is more flavorful when made a day ahead and reheated so all the ingredients have a chance to get to know each other. And, like most soups, this cozy wintertime favorite is extra yummy served with some crusty, buttered bread.
Karen Schneider cooks and writes in the village of Cundy’s Harbor. You can reach her at iwrite33@comcast.net or 504-0545.
Vegetarians can leave out the bacon and use an extra tablespoon of olive oil when roasting the vegetables. If you have any carrots, parsnips or turnips in your pantry to use up, substitute these for some of the squash. Place the apples in the roasting pan later than the vegetables – you don’t want them turning into applesauce.
Triple chocolate cookies are always on my grandchildren’s wish list and we don’t wait until Christmastime to make them. If you want to put the cookies more in a holiday mood, decorate them with bits of candied cherries, colored sugar, sprinkles or even a flick of flaky salt before the icing sets.
I’ve taken to making just one kind of holiday cookie for each week in December and am enjoying sharing just one batch at a time rather than inundating everyone with dozens of them all at once. It’s my way of savoring the season more quietly and “responsibly.”
Roasted butternut squash soup with apples and bacon
1 (1½ pounds) butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large apples, cut into large chunks
1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
1/2 cup white wine or apple cider
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash in a deep roasting pan with onion, bacon and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Roast, stirring at least twice, for about 45 minutes, adding apples at the last 30 minutes of roasting time.
Stir in sage and wine, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer ingredients to a large pot, unless the roasting pan can be put on the stovetop. If so, continue the next step in the roasting pan.
Add the stock and simmer over medium heat for about 25 minutes.
Let the soup cool before putting it into a blender in batches. Puree until very smooth, then return to the pot to reheat. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.
Yield: 4 servings
Triple chocolate cookies
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup butter, cubed
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ cups flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
2 teaspoons shortening
In a microwave or saucepan, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Stir in chocolate mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture and mix well. Stir in 1½ cups chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate dough for 2 hours or until easy to handle.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls at least 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 7-9 minutes (depending on size of cookie) or until edges are set and tops are slightly cracked. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
In a microwave or saucepan, melt remaining chocolate chips with shortening. Stir until smooth, then drizzle over cookies. Let cookies stand for 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: Approximately 4 dozen cookies, depending on size.
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