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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.82 star rating.

Cranberry Pecan Muffins

Reviewed: Nov. 26, 2009
Absolutely terrific! Light. moist texture and perfect level of sweetness. The cranberries contributed the ideal, festive tart counterpoint. As I was making for a crowd and didn't know tastes, I topped each with a pecan half after sprinkling with the sugar mixture, so that those who don't like them could easily take it off before eating. They disappeared fast. Note that mine browned more than those in the picture, and I only baked for 19 minutes. After running a knife blade around the muffins, I could remove them easier from the pans. A+
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The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.56 star rating.

Chicken Breasts in Caper Cream Sauce

Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2009
I'm with Naples 34102 on this one. Sauce amount is just right for 2 chicken breasts. I also deglazed the pan with about 3 Tb Chardonnay, and reduced it quickly until the vapors ceased to tingle the nose. Omitted the garlic powder because its taste is so polyester! The flavor of this dish is so nuanced that it doesn't need garlic, but if you like it, then I'd recommend sauteeing it crushed and finely minced before you cook the chicken. I added the juice of half of a lemon and added some finely grated zest, which gave a nice zing. Right before serving, I stirred in the tiniest dollop of Dijon mustard, maybe 1/2 tsp. It gave a little indefinable je-ne-sais-quoi. The dill blends beautifully with the lemon and capers, making this special enough for a company dish.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.38 star rating.
Photo by Baricat

Fudge Frosting

Reviewed: Nov. 16, 2009
Perfectly fudgy with just the right level of sweetness. Many frostings tend to be way too sweet. This one has a nice, full chocolate flavor. It develops a beautiful sheen and will do your cake, cookies, brownies or cupcakes proud. I didn't even use my mixer. Just beat it by hand for a minute or so. Be aware that it will thicken as it sets. I didn't have to add any water - the consistency was just perfect as is. No trouble with its being granular. Easy, too, with a minimum of ingredients. What more could you want? A surefire winner.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.72 star rating.

Pecan Pie Bars I

Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2009
Very good, but I found the crust to be a little too thick and dry. We would have preferred a thicker filling in proportion to the crust, which I made using butter. I did like many reviewers and cut it back to 24 servings, baking it in a 9" X 13" pan. Next time I'll cut the filling back to 30 servings, while keeping the crust at 24 servings to improve the filling:crust ratio. Second bake time was 32 minutes. A Tb of Kentucky bourbon added to the filling gives it that authentic southern flavor. Lovely, buttery taste. No real problem in getting the bars to release, although it did take a little more pressure than with most recipes.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.

Good Old Fashioned Pancakes

Reviewed: Nov. 7, 2009
Good, but not stellar. The best pancakes are always made with buttermilk or sour milk to achieve maximum tenderness and flavor. Truck Stop Buttermilk Pancakes on this site is much better. That said, they're dependable and won't disappoint. But to dazzle 'em with your kitchen prowess, sour that milk up (1 Tb vinegar or lemon juice, add milk to make 1 cup, allow to rest at room temp 10 min, or zap for 20 seconds in the micro) before you use it in pancakes. Add 1/2 tsp soda when using buttermilk or sour milk to neutralize the acidic taste.
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2 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.

Truck-Stop Buttermilk Pancakes

Reviewed: Nov. 7, 2009
Light, melt-in-your-mouth tender. Definitely needs the salt for flavor. If you leave it out, you'll know it's missing something. If making the full recipe, 1/2 tsp salt is about right (not a pinch.) So quick and easy (and cheap!) to throw together that you'll never so much as think of buying Bisquick ever again.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.73 star rating.

Banana Cake VI

Reviewed: Oct. 17, 2009
I was tempted to bake in the conventional way (350 degrees for about 30 minutes) but in the end, the curiosity about the low temp and freezer cooling got the better of me. I'm glad it did. This is spectacularly moist and delicious. The only changes I made was to halve the recipe and bake it in a 9" square pan for an hour, added 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and subbed Splenda for 2/3 of the sugar. Phenomenal!!! Because it's baked at such a low temperature, the top doesn't get brown like other banana cakes, so frosting adds a lot for eye appeal. Also used Splenda in the cream cheese frosting (I'm diabetic.) I've never had such a super moist banana cake, and I've made some incredibly moist banana cakes before. With the Splenda, it doesn't cause my blood sugar to spike, a huge bonus because even we diabetics crave a baked goodie now and then.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.61 star rating.

Spooky Witches Fingers

Reviewed: Oct. 11, 2009
Uncomplicated flavor and low sweetness quotient makes this recipe a winner for adults. Kids would probably prefer something sweeter. They're just a plain butter cookie with a sable texture. Of course, it's got creative impact up the yin-yang, too! I think I've figured out how to stop them from blowing up and out of shape. Cutting the baking powder in half, from 1 tsp to 1/2 tsp did the trick. I used red gel to simulate blood, and they made quite a splash. Guests were totally grossed out - my daughter could only eat them if she turned them upside down so she didn't have to see the "blood" and "warts" (little tiny balls of dough that I applied before baking.) Thank you!
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6 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 2 stars. This recipe averages a 4.18 star rating.

Mom's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Reviewed: Oct. 10, 2009
Woefully bland. Tasted like Campbell's soup and nothing else. After an endless parade of additions, including a tiny dab of mustard, some freshly grated nutmeg, a dash of cayenne, several splashes of half-and-half, a heaping spoonful of sour cream, a generous handful of grated extra sharp cheddar and some grated Parmesan, this finally came around to tasting respectable. Much better and infinitely easier just to make your own white sauce and add grated/shredded cheese plus seasonings you like, stirring until cheese melts, then combining with the elbows. Unless you're into the flavor of Campbell's soup, throw this one back.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.64 star rating.

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

Reviewed: Oct. 7, 2009
Makes a wonderful crust. Dough is very, very sticky, however. I added a bit more flour, maybe 2 Tb, and although it was still sticky, it was workable. The stickiness is a big part of why it doesn't need rising like a conventional crust. With less flour in proportion to the yeast, it rises more readily and quickly. Nice soft texture when baked. Adding 2 Tb finely grated Parmesan boosts flavor, as well as adding 1/2 tsp basil and 1/2 tsp oregano. A preheated baking stone is a necessity to ensure a crispy, well-baked crust. Just be sure to sprinkle your peel very liberally with cornmeal or flour to allow for a smooth transfer to the stone. No worries about it sticking once it bakes on the stone. It will release easily when fully baked.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 3 stars. This recipe averages a 4.79 star rating.
Photo by Baricat

Best Ever Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake

Reviewed: Oct. 5, 2009
It's good, but it had the definite, unmistakable flavor of a mix. The texture is super moist with a nice, fine crumb. If you want that true, clean chocolate flavor, however, you gotta bite the bullet and make the cake from scratch. It really doesn't even take that much more time than this one does. The glaze/frosting was not too sweet, which we like. It's a glaze if you don't refrigerate it. If you want it to be more spreadable than drizzly, then refrigerate it for 10 minutes or so. If you like mixes and don't mind the artificial taste, then this is a favorable option, I suppose.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.76 star rating.
Photo by Baricat

Apple Hermits

Reviewed: Oct. 3, 2009
WOWsers!!!!! These are awesome! Moist and spiced just right. I baked for only 12 minutes and they came out perfectly. They truly don't need the glaze, as they are quite sweet without it. I baked them on foil, shiny side DOWN (as always) and after they cooled, I had only to slide my hand under the foil and peel it gently away from the cookie (as opposed to peeling the cookie off the foil, which you don't want to do because these are delicate and will break) and they released beautifully. I had a big bag of Craisins that had seen better days, so before I began making the dough, I put a heaping cup of them into very hot water and let them stay for about 20 minutes. They add a lot to the cookies, as I'm sure raisins do, as well. I chopped the apple finely, as many reviews said that they found them to not look very pretty, and that's probably because of large apple chunks sticking out here and there. These look fit for the cover of Bon Appetit. Thank you!
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The reviewer gave this recipe 3 stars. This recipe averages a 4.32 star rating.
Photo by Baricat

Caramel Frosting V

Reviewed: Sep. 29, 2009
Five stars for its decadently luscious flavor and murderously silken texture. But only two stars for insufficient instructions and difficulty. One pound of brown sugar equals 2-1/4 cups, packed. This is a large amount, so the last thing you want to have to do is add powdered sugar to get the proper texture. That said, the instructions should say that the brown sugar/cream mixture needs not only to "cool" but to be refrigerated until ice cold. Mine was cool, 2 hours at room temp and 1 hour in the fridge, but not completely chilled. And I beat it for over 10 minutes in my KitchenAid mixer, with no thickening. So I added a yolk (not advised for pregnant women nor young children) and this helped it gain some body. But the real thickening came when I refrigerated it for 6 hours. Success! Needs to be stored in the fridge, as well (on your baked good, as well as the leftovers) to avoid its becoming too soft. Fabulous taste, but way, WAY too fussy for most.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 3 stars. This recipe averages a 4.56 star rating.

Date Bars II

Reviewed: Sep. 27, 2009
These were good, but not fabulous. The main reason is that we felt there was too much crust in proportion to the date filling. I even upped the chopped dates to 2 full cups instead of 1-1/2 and still felt the crust overwhelmed the filling. Perhaps tinkering with the crust ingredients by calculating with a couple fewer servings, while adding a couple of servings to the filling might work. Tasty, however.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.35 star rating.

Cheesecake Bars

Reviewed: Sep. 26, 2009
The operative word here is "bars." It's not meant to be a cheesecake. The filling is purposefully made thin. Think of it "finger-food cheesecake." I usually save out about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the crumb crust mixture, and sprinkle it over the top of the filling before baking. This gives a crunch when you bite in, which supplies delightful counterpoint to the soft filling. These always go super fast.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.67 star rating.

Crunchy Cheesecake Bars

Reviewed: Sep. 26, 2009
Nice cross between cheesecake and a cookie, meaning that it makes cheesecake become finger food. Not too sweet. The filling translates nicely to sugar-free by using Splenda. No one could tell. I put in a dash of almond extract and a dash of maple extract (a drop of each) to increase the complexity of flavor. The lemon complements the taste. Be sure to store leftovers in the fridge, as the filling is mainly dairy.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4 star rating.

White Cake, Cupcakes

Reviewed: Sep. 14, 2009
Very good, somewhat bland, but that's how white cake is. This is less bland than most. Great texture.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.55 star rating.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Reviewed: Sep. 7, 2009
WOW!!! Nicely spiced vehicles for your maple syrup. This recipe works equally well with cooked, pureed sweet potato. I nuke them for 4 minutes, scoop out the flesh and mash it well before incorporating. Also, I use buttermilk in place of the milk and vinegar. I find that I end up using the same measure of buttermilk as of flour, otherwise the batter is too thick and the pancakes won't cook well in the centers. It's easy to tinker with the spices to suit your taste. I like to add a dash of cloves as well as those in the recipe, plus I double the cinnamon and ginger. These puff up nicely and come out tender and oh-so-tasty!
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3 users found this review helpful
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.5 star rating.
Photo by Baricat

White Layer Cake

Reviewed: Sep. 2, 2009
Excellent texture, very moist with substance, but not dense, if that makes sense. Keeps its shape well with little tendency to crumb, so it looks professional when frosted. I have made it both as an actual layer cake and also as cupcakes (see picture.) Baked cupcakes for 22 minutes. To give it a little more flavor I mixed extracts - 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp lemon and 1/2 orange. This made for a lovely taste. A+
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The reviewer gave this recipe 1 stars. This recipe averages a 3.33 star rating.

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

Reviewed: Aug. 31, 2009
Thickness is absolutely imperative to sweetened condensed (the operative word) milk. Genuine condensed milk had half of its liquid content rapidly evaporated in order to concentrate the milk solids significantly. Be aware that this recipe only provides for the sweetness of the canned sweetened, condensed milk, but does nothing to actually condense it. Hence, it will not work in recipes designed for sweetened condensed milk. This is nothing more than milk with sugar dissolved in it, and other than the sugar bears no resemblance to sweetened, condensed milk.
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6 users found this review helpful

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