Baby, It's Cold Outside

Jeremy's been sick with a bad cold the past few days, and after a restless night last night, he finally took his first sick day of the year today. I have a sore throat, but that's nothing compared to his symptoms. Poor guy. I wanted to make him a nice bowl of soup, and dessert tempted me... so here are some recipes for you to enjoy, as we did. This really were the EASIEST Martha Stewart recipes I've ever made... nothing too fancy or time consuming... just perfect for a freezing cold night like this one!


Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 6 to 8
In addition to broad egg noodles, you can make this heavenly soup with angel-hair pasta broken into short lengths or other shapes, such as alphabet pasta or pastina, or add cooked grains like rice.
3 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock , or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
3 carrots, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces medium egg noodles
Cooked chicken meat, shredded (from Homemade Chicken Stock recipe)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried dill
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Place stock in a stockpot over medium-high heat, and bring just to a simmer. Add carrots, and simmer until tender, about 6 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain noodles, and add them to the pot of stock, along with shredded chicken meat. Season with salt and pepper. Heat until very hot. When ready to serve, stir in dill and parsley.



Peach Cobbler
Serves 8
10 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced (2 quarts)
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
2/3 cup heavy cream
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Place peaches, cornstarch, dark-brown sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss until well combined. Pour mixture into an 8 1/2-by-11 1/2-inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Using a fork, two knives, or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Whisk together egg and cream in a liquid-measuring cup. Slowly add this mixture to dry ingredients; mix with a fork until dough just comes together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board, and roughly shape into a 12-inch log. Using a bench scraper, cut log into twelve equal portions.
4. Place rough balls of dough on top of peach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack, and let cool slightly. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.