MrsChmerkovskiy Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (13672269)

Quick Peanut Butter Cookies

Reviewed: Dec. 30, 2011

I think some people are missing the beauty of this recipe...THERE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FLOUR! These are great cookie for those suffering from Celiac Disease or those who have gluten sensitivities in general. Many people can't tolerate regular flour, so these are a great alternative. Are they the best peanut butter cookies ever? No, definitely not, but they are delicious for what they are, most people have these ingredients on hand, and they are really easy to make. As far as cook time goes, I would follow the directions on the recipe...I like ooey gooey soft cookies, and I had to cook these above the 8 minutes. I would check them at 8 minutes and see how they are. Mine didn't even brown on the bottom at all and they were in the oven for at least 10 minutes. Everyone's oven is different, so I would recommend following the instructions if it's your first time making them.

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Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

Reviewed: Dec. 26, 2011

I'm kind of torn on this recipe and so were my family who ate it. The pros were: they enjoyed the gingersnap crust (although my mom felt the crust should have had more of a "gingery" taste to it.) and it is nice to serve for Christmas or Thanksgiving since it has a strong pumpkin flavor. The cons: It doesn't really taste like cheesecake, it could have been slightly sweeter, if they had to choose between this cheesecake and a regular cheesecake they'd choose the regular cheesecake. I think the cheesecake turned out nicely for what it was, but I do think the pumpkin slightly overpowers the actual cheesecake flavor. One of my other complaints is that once the cheesecake is done, it really doesn't look marbled at all. This wasn't a bust, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. It's a fine recipe, I just won't be making it again since I felt that it was more on the "average" side. Also, as a side note for those wanting to make this recipe or any cheesecake recipe: it's not necessary to use a springform pan. I used a 9 inch cake pan and it was absolutely fine.

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Mouse's Macaroni and Cheese

Reviewed: Dec. 26, 2011

This is great macaroni and cheese. I agree with the reviewers saying not to double the amount of macaroni! This is creamy and saucy...the way I like macaroni and cheese! One of the things I don't like about homemade mac and cheese is that I always feel like it comes out dry and like there isn't enough cheese. This was delicious though. One of the warnings I will give about this though is serve it right out of the oven. Unfortunately my mom and I both cooked Christmas dinner and my food was done on time and her's wasn't, so the mac and cheese sat for awhile. It still tasted great, but the cheese started to solidify and it became very thick. 5 stars but serve immediately!

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Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Reviewed: Dec. 26, 2011

An easy recipe that I managed to complicate! I didn't have peanut butter chips on hand, so I was going to replace it with peanut butter. When I pulled the peanut butter out of the cabinet, I had about a T. instead of a cup's worth. Onto plan C! I made my own peanut butter out of peanuts, a few squirts of honey, a dollop of canola oil, and using the food processor! Once smooth, I added the 14 oz. sweetened condensed and processed that all together. I also used the food processor to make the graham cracker crumbs (use about a package and half of crackers), poured it into my liquid Pyrex measuring cup, melted butter in the microwave, and then added the butter into the crackers, mixed it together, and then pressed it into the 13x9. Now here's where I went a little crazy...I've had coconut flakes and finely chopped pecans on hand that I have no use for. I sprinkled those on top of the crust, sprinkled 6 oz. of chocolate chips on top of that, and then I plopped the peanut/milk mixture over top of that. I spread the mixture evenly over the top using a rubber spatula and my finger and then I added the other 6 oz. of chocolate chips over top of that. After it cooked, I spread the chocolate chips across the top so there was melted chocolate as the topping. Everyone loved these! Only thing I'd do differently is either bake the crust for a few minutes, like you do with cheesecake, so it holds together better or I would drizzle a little plain sweetened milk over the crust to act like glue

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G.G.'s Chocolate Sheet Cake

Reviewed: Dec. 12, 2011

Just a warning: this batter is VERY runny. If it turns out like soup, don't be alarmed. I used cake flour (if you do this, be sure to add an extra 2 T. for every cup of flour), I also warmed the butter and water in the microwave and then added the cocoa powder (used and extra T of cocoa too). Lastly, I turned them into cupcakes instead of using a jellyroll pan. If you do this, be sure not to overfill the cupcake molds because I overfilled a couple and, although it wasn't disastrous, batter was overflowing out the middle of a couple of them. All in all, the cupcakes turned out fine, but I didn't find the cake itself to be all that chocolaty. I think next time I'd add even more cocoa powder or even some chocolate chips might add a lot to this recipe. Granted, I did not use the frosting recipe on here, instead I used a vanilla frosting, so I'm sure using a chocolate frosting would help too. I used vanilla because I decorated them with Christmas sprinkles and I thought the sprinkles would pop more on the vanilla instead of the chocolate. Also, this recipe yielded about 20 cupcakes and they cooked for about 20-25 minutes.

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4 users found this review helpful

Eileen's Spicy Gingerbread Men

Reviewed: Dec. 12, 2011

I like the taste and texture of the recipe, but I had some problems with this one. I had to add A LOT of flour to the already chilled dough...I did not measure out how much extra flour I added, as I did it by the feel of the dough. I would say I probably used at least an extra half cup of flour. I prefer softer cookies, which is one of the reasons I enjoy this recipe because they turn out soft for gingerbread, but even after they cooled we had a hard time with gingerbread legs falling off and other shaped cookies cracking. I think because these are soft, that caused this to happen. Either treat them very delicately, which I felt that we were doing, or let them cook a minute or two longer. When they broke apart, we "glued" them back together with the royal icing I made. All in all, I was happy with how everything turned out, but it took me a lot longer to make the dough since I rolled it out, after rolling it, realized it was too soft, then had to add more flour, and then re-roll the dough out again. Kind of a pain! They taste great though and look cute, so I would use this recipe again but just use more caution when making it and handling the cooked cookies.

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Pumpkin Roll I

Reviewed: Dec. 4, 2011

Everyone who had a piece of this raved about how delicious it was. I have to admit though, I actually messed the ingredients up a little bit. I mistakenly put 3/4 c. of pumpkin puree in instead of 2/3 c. Since I accidentally did that, I added about an extra tablespoon of flour into the mixture. It still turned out fine. Also, some of the comments for all of the pumpkin rolls on this site talked about how bland the actual cake part turns out in comparison to the cream cheese frosting. I decided to use 3/4 t. cinnamon and 1/4 t. pumpkin spice to give it some extra flavor. In doing that, I don't think 1/2 t. would have given it enough spice to it. I think next time I may even do a whole t. of cinnamon and a 1/2 t. of pumpkin spice. It could have used even more flavor. For the frosting, I substituted Neufchatel cheese for the cream cheese and there was no difference at all. I would also recommend sifting the powdered sugar before mixing it for the frosting. My powdered sugar got a little lumpy, although you couldn't tell at all when it was rolled up into the cake. My method of greasing the pan was to use a cooking spray, heavily spray the pan, and then flour it after. I let the cake cool on the pan for a few minutes and then I took a small and narrow plastic flipper and slid it around all under the cake to loosen it. I quickly flipped it onto the towel, and it was perfect.

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Reviewed: Nov. 12, 2011

I've been making these cookies for years, and for some reason never rated them. These are PHENOMENAL. Probably the best homemade cookies I've ever made. I follow the recipe exactly with the exception of adding the walnuts. My only suggestion is, if you are using salted butter, be sure to omit the extra salt. It's not necessary to use salt at all in that case, and in fact, they'll turn out to be too salty if you do. Also, if you really want them to be chewy and soft, be sure to take them out while they still look slightly undercooked. Cookies that are golden brown always become hard after they cool down. If you're like me and you only like soft cookies, take them out while they're still a little bit gooey. Once they cool off, they'll firm up a bit, but still be soft.

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9 users found this review helpful

Pumpkin Brownies

Reviewed: Oct. 23, 2011

I have made these twice: the first time leaving out chocolate chips and walnuts and the second time adding the chocolate chips. Definitely do not make this recipe unless you have the chocolate chips on hand because they are so much better with them in there! I took these to a "girl's night" of five women, and half of the plate of brownies was gone before I left. Everyone raved about how good they were. I have to say though, they turn out almost more cake like than brownies though, and they are extremely moist. Just be aware of that if you are more of a fan of a crunchier/dryer brownie because these are more like stick to your finger gooey brownies. It's not a brownie I'd make all the time either, but it was something fancy and nice for a fall get together. Overall, these were a hit!

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Reviewed: Oct. 23, 2011

I am giving these a three as the recipe stands. I spruced them up a bit and they still came out bland, so I can't imagine how bland the original recipe must be. I used 1 c. pumpkin, doubled the spices, and a cup of chocolate chips. They came out flavorful spice and chocolate wise, but they weren't sweet enough at all. Next time, I would either take the brown sugar suggestions some people talked about or I would increase the white sugar to a cup. The muffins are very moist and flavorful once you up the amount of spices, but it's missing the sweetness which would help to bring all of the flavors together. I think I am going to make a powdered sugar glaze to put over the top of them to help add some sweetness to them.

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Artichoke & Spinach Dip Restaurant Style

Reviewed: Aug. 9, 2011

This dip couldn't be any easier and more impressive. I am asked to bring this to parties occasionally and it's always a huge hit. You just throw it all together, bake it, and voila! Everyone is impressed by it, and the entire pan is usually gone by the end of the party, if not well before! Nothing about this recipe needs to be changed. Follow it exactly, and you will be the hit of the party!

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Best Spinach Dip Ever

Reviewed: Aug. 9, 2011

I probably really shouldn't be rating this recipe because I only took bits and pieces from it, but oh well. I use 1 cup of mayo, 16 oz. sour cream, a package of Knorr's vegetable soup mix, omit the water chestnuts, use a 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, and then I use a round loaf of Hawaiian bread. Everyone loves the recipe and I get asked to bring it to occasions frequently. It's a staple at all of my parties, and it's usually always devoured by the end of the night. It's the best spinach dip ever, and it's great because it can be made days ahead of time and stored in a Tupperware container. Then the day of, hollow out the bread, add the dip to the middle, and cut up the leftover middle part of the bread into cubes and stick them on top of the dip.

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Beer Dip I

Reviewed: Aug. 9, 2011

This is a nice, easy recipe to throw together that uses minimal ingredients. If you are expecting a heavy beer flavor though, you should look for a different recipe. This beer dip has more of a ranchy cheese flavor, and then you are left with a slight beer aftertaste. The beer provides only a subtle flavor at the end of the bite, and I even added a little extra poor of beer into mine. I made mine using Miller Lite and I am serving it with beer bread and the recipe for Cayenne Pretzels on this website (highly recommend them.) If you want to add more beer into the dip than what it calls for, I would go ahead and do that. As the dip sits in the fridge, it thickens up, so a little extra beer won't hurt the texture of it all.

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Cayenne Pretzels

Reviewed: Aug. 9, 2011

I made these yesterday, but altered the recipe for a 16 oz. bag of pretzels. I changed the serving to 7 instead of 10, and followed that exactly with the exception of using regular garlic powder instead of garlic salt. The pretzels have enough salt, so it's not necessary to add more into them. They are excellent, but I am giving them a 4 because it is **NOT NECESSARY TO BAKE THEM!** It's an extra step, hassle, and mess to clean if you do it like that. I mixed all of the oil and seasonings into a large bowl, added all of the pretzels into the oil, stirred it up with a wooden spoon until everything was evenly coated, and then dumped them into a gallon freezer size bag. Zip it up and let them sit in there. They will dry out on their own, and serve them whenever. They have a good shelf life, so they are a nice party snack you can make days ahead of time. I would also suggest throwing in a little extra ranch and garlic, and onion powder would be a nice addition too. If you like things really spicy, add some extra cayenne in too. As the recipe calls for, you can tell there is a slight heat to the pretzels, but it's nothing spicy at all.

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Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Reviewed: Jun. 22, 2011

These are really delicious and are impressive looking. I have to admit, I didn't use any Nestle ingredients, but I thank them anyway for the recipe! I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of turning the oven up to 350 while the cookies baked in the muffin pan (the directions on the cookie package said to bake them at 350, so that's what I followed.) I looked at some of the reviews on here, and I decided to only fill the cups with 2 tbsp of the filling since many people said there wasn't enough filling. That wasn't the case at all, I ended up using 3 tbsp in each cup and still had a slight amount left over. I only cut a little taste off before reviewing, but I will say these aren't very "cheesecakey tasting." All of the flavors kind of merge together, and you get a "hint of this" and a "hint of that." If you are expecting a pure cheesecake taste, then I would suggest cutting back on the cherry filling and also use a sugar cookie dough for the bottom. These are simple and elegant. They store nicely, so you can make them in advance. I think I've found a new, easy dessert to make for Thanksgiving this year!

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Lemon Pie Bars

Reviewed: May 22, 2011

I would definitely recommend this recipe over the Bake Sale Lemon Bars recipe on this website. I did a batch and a half for the filling, and the outcome was delicious! These lemon bars definitely have tangy zing to them, but still have a nice sweetness about them. I used bottled lemon juice, so I didn't have any zest to add in. Instead I just add slightly more lemon juice to the mixture. I was left with a gooey delicious filling on top of a light and flaky crust. Part of the reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the author of the recipe didn't denote to reserve the 1/4 extra cup of flour for later in the ingredient section. 2 c. of flour is for the crust and the 1/4 c. of flour is to be added to the filling. I mistakenly added 2 1/4 c. to the crust because the ingredient list doesn't specify. If you too make this mistake, don't worry, it still turns out wonderful. Regardless though, the ingredient list should have that added into it. Definitely try this recipe...it's a keeper! Just read it carefully.

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6 users found this review helpful

Honey-Mustard Baked Chicken

Reviewed: Apr. 27, 2011

This was a good recipe. I cut the honey mustard sauce in half for the marinade. Trying to cut down on the carbs and a 1/2 c. of honey is a lot. Halving the marinade was plenty, but I think next time I would make extra sauce for dipping. It needed some kind of extra sauce, but the flavor of it was really nice. For those watching their carb counts, you can use a little bit of Dijon mustard as your dipping sauce. It gives the chicken a nice little zing to it, you can still taste the honey mustard flavor on the chicken, and it doesn't have any carbs.

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Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli

Reviewed: Apr. 27, 2011

I really liked this recipe a lot and followed it exactly. My only suggestion would be to cut the broccoli into very small pieces otherwise it takes a very long time to cook. Roasting the broccoli brings out an entirely different flavor of it, and it is a nice alternative to regular steamed broccoli.

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5 users found this review helpful

Cobb Salad

Reviewed: Apr. 27, 2011

I had such high expectations for this! I didn't like it at all. There was too much lettuce, not enough "stuff," and the flavor of it was just very bland. It had a lot of prep-work to it and the result wasn't worth it. Thanks for the recipe anyway though!

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4 users found this review helpful

Wilted Cabbage Salad with Bacon

Reviewed: Apr. 27, 2011

We all really enjoyed this recipe, but I couldn't give it five stars because I tasted it as is and it wasn't quite right to me. I added a packet of Splenda to it after making it as per the directions, and the Splenda made a huge difference. It wasn't sweet at all, but it helped to cut down on the zing from all the vinegar. If you're eating low carb, I would definitely try this recipe. The only thing is, I did not save the bacon fat to cook the onion and garlic in. I used olive oil to make it healthier, and it tasted absolutely fine.

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3 users found this review helpful