ivyguppy Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (10709826)

Pastry Cream

Reviewed: Nov. 19, 2008

The BEST pastry cream recipe I've found and I've looked all over the internet and in cookbooks. It's the perfect consistency and sweetness I was looking for. Other recipes I've tried have been way too eggy. The 2 yolks + 1 egg is perfect. It tastes just like filling in the Beard Papa's cream puffs in NYC that I love. When it's still hot, I like to run it through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of any lumps. I chill for several hours, and it comes out so smooth and delicious.

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2 users found this review helpful

Sophie's Zucchini Bread

Reviewed: Jun. 23, 2007

I didn't really care for this recipe. The texture was all right (maybe a bit too dense and even chewy like actual bread) but when I tasted it, all I could say was, "Cinnamon". It was overwhelmingly cinnamon, in my opinion. If I ever try this recipe again, I'd reduce the cinnamon or experiment with some other flavorings.

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2 users found this review helpful

Pecan Sour Cream Pound Cake

Reviewed: May 1, 2007

I followed the recipe and the cake, in my opinion, was much too sweet. I should have gone with my gut and cut the sugar initially (3 cups of sugar for 3 cups of flour sounded like way too much! And it was.)I served it when it was warm, after cooling for 1 hr, and found it to be a very bland, heavy and greasy cake. I chose not to make the glaze as it was already so sweet, it didn't need the added sugar. I used a buttered and floured bundt pan, and didn't have any trouble turning the cake out. The only way I could salvage this cake was by cutting it into 1 inch wide, 3/4 inch thick, slices and baking them at 275 until dry and slightly crispy to make biscotti. I then dipped one side in some melted dark chocolate.

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Chinese Steamed Buns

Reviewed: Mar. 8, 2007

This recipe gave me the soft, fluffy texture I was looking for. Instead of 1/2 c. of warm water, I substituted 1/2 c. of warm milk which I think helped make the dough even more light and fluffy. I had to add about an extra 1/4 c. of flour because the dough was REALLY sticky and difficult to work with. The only bad thing about this recipe was that after the 3 hours for the 1st rising, I noticed that the dough had a somewhat sour aftertaste, like sourdough bread, which was more noticeable after steaming the bun (I steamed a golf ball sized amount of dough to test for texture and taste before I rolled and steamed the rest of the dough). So I added a pinch of baking SODA to counteract the sour flavor, and an extra 1/2 tsp of sugar because I personally like a sweeter dough. I used my own meat filling recipe to fill the bun. Yummy. UPDATE: *Tip* I've doubled the recipe with no problems -- use the same amount of yeast as in the original recipe (1 TB or approx. 1 envelope dry yeast), but double all the other ingredients. Came out just as good.

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157 users found this review helpful

Banana Oat Muffins

Reviewed: Feb. 10, 2007

These muffins were really yummy and pretty easy to make. I followed other peoples' suggestion and also used applesauce instead of butter. I was running low on vanilla so I increased the cinnamon in the recipe. These muffins came out so incredibly moist and flavorful and were a big hit with the familly.

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1 user found this review helpful

Easy Tuna Casserole

Reviewed: Jan. 20, 2007

As a basic tuna casserole recipe, this one is perfect. But I like to add 1 small onion, grated with a cheese grater because there's nothing worse than getting a bite of undercooked, raw onion in my opinion; this way, grated, it cooks fully and you get a nice hint of onion flavor throughout. Like others, I also doubled the amount of tuna to 2 cans. I added approx. 1/2 cup of milk for creaminess. And I find that macaroni, even cooked to al dente, has a tendency to overcook in the oven and get mushy, so I use rotini/fusilli (corkscrew pasta) which tends to hold its shape and texture more. Instead of adding fried onions on top, I like to sprinkle some crushed potato chips or crushed Ritz crackers. Surprisingly, I found that crushed sour cream & onion chips on top is a delicious variation -- adds a nice zip and savory onion taste.

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5 users found this review helpful

Jay's Signature Pizza Crust

Reviewed: Jan. 20, 2007

The easiest and tastiest homemade pizza crust recipe that I've ever made. The brown sugar is a brilliant touch; it makes a wonderful difference. Simply delicious!

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0 users found this review helpful

Creamy Rice Pudding

Reviewed: Jan. 20, 2007

This was my first time making and tasting a rice pudding. I didn't have any trouble with the rice pudding thickening; it came out really thick and creamy. However, I was expecting the rice to break down more into an oatmeal or rice porridge-like consistency. I even added a bit more liquid and increased the cooking time by an extra 30-40 minutes to try to break down the rice grains even more but, in the end, the rice still retained its shape and texture. The taste was all right but it was like someone had dropped some cooked rice into my vanilla pudding. I was expecting it to be lumpy since I've seen rice puddings before, but I guess I was looking for something a little more uniform in texture. (I used fully cooked short-grain rice straight from my electric rice cooker which always cooks my rice to perfection) I also thought that 1/4 tsp salt was too much (I used table salt); if I were to make it again, I would reduce or leave the salt out altogether. Maybe this would've been better baked in the oven the traditional way.

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Honey Roasted Red Potatoes

Reviewed: Jan. 18, 2007

I didn't really care for this recipe. I thought it tasted very bland.

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Mulligatawny Soup I

Reviewed: Jan. 15, 2007

Delicious recipe. The only change I made was I shredded the apple with a cheese grater instead of chopping it up. The apples melted right into the soup and the soup was de-lish. (I just didn't care for the texture of cooked, softened apple chunks in my soup)

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76 users found this review helpful

Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Reviewed: Jan. 9, 2007

Good recipe but I like my PB and Banana sandwiches the way Elvis did his. Pan "grilled" with butter, not cooking spray, and with a few pieces of crispy bacon inside. Yum.

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1 user found this review helpful

Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler

Reviewed: Jan. 3, 2007

Simply delicious! I made the lattice top and it looked and tasted great. The family loved it. The only bad thing is that the filling was too juicy, and I even added an extra tablespoon of corn starch. Next time I'll add more starch or cook and reduce the liquids more before pouring into the crust.

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2 users found this review helpful

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie by EAGLE BRAND®

Reviewed: Nov. 25, 2006

Has the potential to be a really great recipe, but I found 1 tsp of orange zest to be way TOO much. The orange zest overpowered the cinnamon/nutmeg flavor and the natural taste of the sweet potato. I couldn't taste the pecans at all. The texture of the filling and the sweetness were perfect and I liked the consistency of the pecan pie topping, but next time I'll use just a pinch of zest (less than 1/8 tsp).

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37 users found this review helpful

Shredded Brussels Sprouts

Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2006

This is the recipe that finally got me to eat brussel sprouts AND like them. Instead of shredding (like cabbages for cole slaw), I peel and separate each leaf from the "head" (like pulling petals off from a flower) and saute until wilted and not mushy. I think it looks nicer this way. I also like to add some thin slices of garlic to the oil for extra flavor, and so those who don't care to eat the actual garlic can pick them out easily.

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37 users found this review helpful

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Reviewed: Nov. 17, 2006

Delicious

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2 users found this review helpful

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Reviewed: Nov. 9, 2006

Very delicious recipe, even though I made a few changes. I susbtituted almonds in place of the pistachios, which I chopped up and toasted. I also used 1/2 tsp of cinnamon instead of almond extract. I prefer a harder biscotti that can stand up to dipping in my coffee; so after baking the slices for 10 minutes at 275, I flipped the slices over and baked for an additional 10 minutes. Yum.

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3 users found this review helpful

Bread and Celery Stuffing

Reviewed: Oct. 24, 2006

This is almost exactly like the recipe I got from a Family Circle cookbook and have used for years. Delicious! The only difference is that I also add 1 large, chopped carrot. It adds a touch of sweetness and some festive color to the stuffing.

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4 users found this review helpful

Simple Scones

Reviewed: Oct. 16, 2006

What a great recipe! I loved the simplicity of the recipe and the tasty results. The texture WASN'T dry and hard as a rock like some recipes; it was tender and relatively moist. I loved it! I followed the cranberry-orange recipe, except I didn't have any oranges that day so I substituted the zest of 1 lemon. YUMMY! I tried it again with orange zest a second time, but I found that I preferred the cranberry-lemon combo. Since then, I've found that cranberry-lemon plus 1 tsp. vanilla is also tasty, as is just lemon (zest) and 1 tsp vanilla.

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91 users found this review helpful

Korean-style Seaweed Soup

Reviewed: Oct. 10, 2006

Really simple and delicious! I didn't expect it to taste as good as it did. I wasn't sure what type of seaweed to use, so I ended up using what I had at hand and what's available at my local market -- nori (sushi seaweed). I followed the recipe, but in the future I don't think I'll soak the seaweed ahead of time; doing that made the seaweed completely disintegrate into the soup. I was looking for more structure in the seaweed, not floating, seaweed "particles" in the soup. Next time, I'll just add the seaweed right before ladling it out, since nori gets soft pretty quickly, and let the heat of the hot soup soften the seaweed up. But, overall, very tasty and I'll make it again.

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Grilled Cheese and Peanut Butter Sandwich

Reviewed: Sep. 26, 2006

Glad to see I'm not the only one who enjoys a PB and Cheese sandwich. My mom used to make them for me and I've been eating them for years. However, I never thought to grill them up w/ butter before...delish!!! I used to just toast the bread, but frying it up with butter is a great improvement. The slight sharp, salty, tanginess of the cheese cuts the sweetness of the peanut butter and balances it out nicely. I would make this again!

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7 users found this review helpful