Comfort foods for the winter

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As the cold weather hits, the warm and delicious foods and treats appear. Here are some comfort food recipes to get everyone through this frigid winter.

[Recipe and picture of Pumpkin Curry Soup provided by Ashley Evanson]

[media-credit name=”Courtesy of Ashley Evanson” align=”alignright” width=”198″][/media-credit]
Pumpkin Curry Soup
Pumpkin Curry Soup

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed

2 cups canned pumpkin

4 cups water

6 chicken bouillon cubes

3 chicken breasts, seasoned, cooked, and cubed

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon curry

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups half and half

3-4 cups cooked rice

Melt butter in saute pan. Saute onion and garlic in melted butter. Add everything except half and half and cooked rice. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add half and half and rice and simmer for 5 minutes.

[Picture of Cinnamon Swirl Bread with a Cream Cheese Glaze provided by Hayley Pingree, recipe adapted from Apartment Therapy]

[media-credit name=”Hayley Pingree” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]
Cinammon Swirl Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze
Cinnamon Swirl Bread with a Cream Cheese Glaze

Makes 2 loaves

1 cup warm water

1 packet active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter melted

2 teaspoons. salt

5 1/2 – 6 cups flour

For the filling:

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 loaf pans, greased with cooking spray

For the glaze:

4 ounces. cream cheese, very soft

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

4 tablespoons. milk

1/4 teaspoon. vanilla

In medium bowl, combine glaze ingredients with a whisk until well-blended with no lumps, with a nice glaze consistency. Set aside. Pour the cup of warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle yeast over top. Wait 2-3 minutes, then stir to fully dissolve yeast into water. Stir in the milk, melted butter, and salt into water. Add 5 1/2 cups of the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to form a shaggy dough. Knead with dough hook in bowl on low speed for 8-10 minutes to form a smooth, slightly tacky dough. If halfway through kneading the dough is very sticky, add a little more flour. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and put ball of dough into the bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm, draft free place (microwave) for one hour, or until doubled in bulk. Meanwhile, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Once the bread has risen, divide the dough into two pieces. Working on one piece at a time, roll the dough out onto floured surface. The dough should be slightly less wide than the loaf pan, and as long as possible for the pan. Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, leaving 2 inches at the top without butter. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon-sugar. Starting at the closest end, roll up the dough. Once rolled pinch the seam closed. Transfer to greased loaf pan seam-side down. Repeat with other half of dough. Let the loaves rise in their respective loaf pans (covered with a dish towel) until mounded to at least the top of the pan (35-40 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove the loaves from pan and drizzle glaze over top. Sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon-sugar.

[Recipe of Eggnog Cookies from yourcupofcake.com, picture by Amber Jensen]

Eggnog Cookies

[media-credit name=”Amber Jensen” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]
Eggnog Cookies
1 1/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup eggnog

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Eggnog Glaze:

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons eggnog

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cream sugar and butter until light. Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks; beat at a medium speed with mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. Spoon onto un-greased cookie sheets or parchment paper and make the small dough balls; they will spread in the oven. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges barely start to brown. While cookies are in the oven, make the eggnog glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons eggnog. Glaze your cookies and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

[ Recipe of Apple Pie from Allrecipes.com, picture of Apple Pie by Daniel Lewis]

Apple Pie

[media-credit name=”Daniel Lewis” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]
Apple Pie
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shortening

4 tablespoons cold water

Filling:

7 cups thinly sliced peeled baking apples

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon water

In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening. Gradually add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing lightly with a fork until dough forms a ball. Chill for 30 minutes. On a floured surface, roll half of dough into 10-inch circles. Place into a 9 inch pie pan.

In a bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to apples and toss. Pour into crust; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; cut slits in top. Place over filling; seal and flute edges. Beat egg yolk and water; brush over pastry. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 40-45 minutes more or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

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