seb@mtgzy.UUCP (s.e.badian) (03/11/86)
I just received a new cookbook from the Crafts and Cooking Book Club that looks really good. I haven't tried anything in it, but many of the recipes look excellent. And it's not often you find a cookbook dedicated to soups, one of my favorite foods. The book is called "Soup's On" and it is by Nancy Baggett and Ruth Glick. It is published by Macmillan. I haven't tried anything from it, but I thought I'd post a recipe that looks particularly delicious is me. So here is Apricot Soup - a dessert soup 1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots (about 7.5 to 8 ounces) 2 1/2 cups orange juice 1/2 cup white wine generous 1/3 cup sugar 1 3-inch-long cinnamon stick 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1/4 cup water 1 1/4 cups whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon Amaretto or other almond flavored liqueur (optional) 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cups light cream or half and half (approximately) dollops of very lightly sweetened whipped cream for garnish Combine apricots, orange juice, wine, sugar, and cinnamon in a 2 to 3 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil and over medium high heat, stirring. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until apricots are very tender. Remove cinnamon stick and throw away. Stir together the cornstarch and water in a cup or small bowl until well blended and smooth. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the apricot mixture and continue simmering for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove pan from heat and cool slightly. Transfer the apricot mixture to a blender. Blend on low for 10 seconds. Raise the speed to medium and blend for 1.5 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly pureed and smooth. Stop blending and scrape sides of blender several times to make sure everything gets blended. Turn out puree into a large storage container or bowl. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the cream and whipped cream. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cream. If the soup seems too thick, thin it with more cream until the desired consistency is obtained. Refrigerate soup, covered, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours before serving. The soup tends to thicken on standing; thin it with a little milk before serving if too thick. Stir the soup. Serve very cold in small, prechilled soup cups or bowls. Add a generous dollop of whipped cream to each bowl. Makes 5 to 6 servings. Sharon Badian ihnp4!mtgzy!seb