Apple Soup With Pound Cake Croutons

This soup, From Cooking Light 2002, is great warm or cold, as dessert or for brunch. It is especially good in the fall.

• Ready In: 58 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Croutons

• 10 3⁄4 ounces  reduced-fat pound cake (such as Sara Lee)

• Soup

• 1  cup apple cider
• 1  cup dry white wine
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1  dash ground cloves
• 1  dash ground allspice
• 3  granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
• 3  braeburn apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
• 3  inches cinnamon sticks
• 1⁄2 cup half-and-half

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. To prepare croutons, slice cake crossways into 8 (1/2 inch) slices; reserve remaining cake for another use.
3. Cut each slice diagonally into 2 pieces.
4. Place cake pieces on a baking sheet.
5. Bake at 375F for 8 minutes or until lightly browned, turning after 4 minutes.
6. Cool completely on a wire rack.
7. To prepare soup, combine cider and next 8 ingredients (cider through cinnamon) in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until apples are very tender.
9. Remove cinnamon stick with a slotted spoon, discard.
10. Place half of apple mixture in a blender or food processor; let stand 5 minutes.
11. Cover tightly; process until smooth.
12. Pour pureed apple mixture into a large bowl.
13. Repeat procedure with remaining apple mixture.
14. Place pureed mixture in pan; stir in half and half.
15. Cook over low heat 5 minutes or until heated, stirring occasionally.