Sarah Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (10065730)

Rich and Simple French Onion Soup

Reviewed: Nov. 25, 2009

WOW!! I made this at my mother in-laws request while they were here visiting us last week and she said it was the best she had ever had! I tweaked it oh so slighlty (because that is just how I cook). Make sure you carmelize your onions... so important!! I used a cream sherry which made it a little more smooth, FRESH thyme and 2 garlic cloves, worchestire sauce, mushrooms and used a blend of cheeses. In place of french bread I used an asiago cheese baquette which was fabulous!! Thank you so much for a wonderful onion soup recipe!! Unfortunatley my hubby doesn't like it so this will be something I will have to make for me when he isn't around.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
2 users found this review helpful

Meringue II

Reviewed: Nov. 21, 2009

Here are some things to know about meringue that will help you if you are unclear about some of the directions in this recipe. 1) Make sure you have completely seperated the yolk from the white... the slightest bit of yolk will break down you whites. 2) Make you your mixing bowl is 100% GREASE FREE!!! Very important! 3) Keep your eggwhites at ROOM TEMP before you beat. 4) Begin beating the egg whites slowly, increasing speed when they are frothy and beating until soft peaks just begin to form. Continue beating, slowly adding the sugar and then the cornstarch mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, this takes a little time. Egg whites are "STIFF" when the beaters leave ridges in the whites and they are glossy and hold a stiff peak when the beaters are lifted out. 5) It is VERY important to beat your eggwhites completely and not stop until you are ready to put on the pie. Meringue starts to deflate within 5 minutes of turning off the mixer. Hope this helps!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
232 users found this review helpful

Microwave Lemon Curd

Reviewed: Nov. 16, 2009

Simply Outstanding! I took the suggestion from mommyfromseattle and this had everyone wanting more! I used this as a filling in my coconut cake and it was heavenly. I took the leftovers and made minature lemon meringue pies with my oversized muffin tins. This is my ONLY lemon curd recipe!! Oh, don't remove the zest via a seive... you lose flavor!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Reviewed: Nov. 6, 2009

I thought this was pretty good, but I think Chantal's New York Cheesecake from this site was WAY better. Plus that one is a FABULOUS starter recipe and very versatile. Take the basics from this and add it to that one!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Too Much Chocolate Cake

Reviewed: Nov. 5, 2009

We LOVED this recipe as is and so naturally I experimented with other flavors and different ingredient combinations. I now use a basic revision of this recipe no matter what kind of cake I am making. First I reduce the oil to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup softened butter. Second, I replace the water with milk. Third, I add 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Lastly, I FOLD in the sour cream (and chips if I use them). I think my favorite rendition of this recipe is a coconut cream cake with a lemon curd filling. DELICIOUS!! For that cake I replace the milk with coconut cream, use coconut pudding, and flaked coconut and lemon zest in place of cips. Thank you so much for a great chocolate cake recipe that is so versatile and scrumptious!!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
4 users found this review helpful

French Silk Chocolate Pie I

Reviewed: Nov. 4, 2009

Here are a few tips that will cook your eggs and fix the grainy texture of this recipe. Double ingredients, reduce sugar to 2/3 cup + 1TBS. Replace unsweetned chocolate with 5 oz milk chocolate. DIRECTIONS: 1)In a double boiler, melt your chocolate until smooth. Remove and allow to COMPLETELY COOL! 2)In a grease free bowl add the egg whites and the 2/3 cup of granulated sugar. Mix well. Take a wet pastry brush and brush down the sugar that have set on the sides of the bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk occasionally until it reaches 160 degrees. 3)If you notice chunks of cooked egg or crystallized sugar in the meringue mix, take a mesh strainer and pour the mixture through. 4) whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and the egg whites are cool to the touch... about 15- 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a double boiler whisk the egg yolks,1 TBS heavy cream and 1 TBS sugar until well blended. Whisk constantly over low heat until it registers 160. 5)When meringue has formed stiff peaks and is cool, take a rubber spatula and GENTLEY FOLD your COOLED chocolate to the meringue until blended. 6)In a separate bowl, cream the butter for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla. Add egg yolks until well blended. FOLD into the chocolate meringue until well blended. 7) Spoon filling into a prepared COOL pie shell. Put into the fridge and let set overnight. After 2 hours in the fridge cover with plastic wrap. HOPE THIS HELPS!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
4 users found this review helpful

Eggplant Parmesan II

Reviewed: Oct. 21, 2009

This was my first time using and eating eggplant and I really enjoyed it! However, I will admit that after I pulled them out of the oven and tasted it I ended up frying them in olive oil to give it more flavor. My husband HATES marinara sauce so he was skeptical of trying this. He thought it was okay and our 2 year old ate seconds! This is a great start to Eggplant Parmesan, but I think next time I will try making this differently... maybe a goat cheese and basil alfedo sauce instead of marinara... or even making a rosa sauce... I think my hubby would like it better, and it is just a creative way to use other cheeses and flavors along with eggplant... we shall see!! Thank you for a fabulous recipe!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Grandma Johnson's Scones

Reviewed: Oct. 21, 2009

WOW! These are excellent! I ended up making orange cranberry scones with a orange vanilla glaze and they were incredible! I scarffed down most of them (don't tell my husband :)!!). I will be making these again and will be using this recipe as a great base for many more flavors!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Banana Sour Cream Bread

Reviewed: Oct. 21, 2009

This is a pretty good starter recipe, but it needs some more flavor!! I halved this recipe since I only have 2 mini loaf pans. After tasting the batter as written, I thought it was bland so I made some changes. 1) Melted the butter, then cooled it 2) Reduced sugar to 1 cup and substituded brown sugar for white sugar. 3)Added 1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce 4)Used 4 ripe bananas 5)Used 1 Tablespoon cinnamon and 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 6)Added 1 zuchinni, grated 7)Used walnuts 8)Mashed two of the bananas with a fork and set aside. The other two bananas were whipped with the butter for a few minutes. (You want a light and fluffy banana cream) Then I added the butter, eggs, vanilla, and applesauce. In a seperate small bowl I combined all the dry ingredients and whisked them before I added them to the batter. When you incorporate the dry mix, DO NOT OVER MIX!!! Next, FOLD in the sour cream, the 2 mashed bananas, and nuts with a spatula. Pour into well greased loaf pans. 9) Sprinkle top with a strussel topping consiting of 1/2 c. brown sugar, 3 TBS chilled butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 TBS flour. 10) Bake in a 320 degree oven for 63 minutes on the middle rack. Cover with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking There you go... it tastes a lot better with these changes!!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
4 users found this review helpful

Jagerschnitzel

Reviewed: Oct. 13, 2009

I couldn't give it a 5 star because I changed it a little bit. First off, pork chops do not have a lot of flavor, so I used boneless skinless pork ribs that I sliced thin and then pounded thin. Then I seasoned the pork with salt, pepper,marjoram,garlic, and ground carraway. Used panko instead of breadcumbs, and double dredged the pork so it was extra crunchy. Fried in olive oil (more flavor)... Deglace the pan with beer(same as below), then added the onion and FRESH mushrooms. Last, I made a Beer Sauce instead of a gravy... more authentic and delicious!!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Chicken Satay with Homemade Peanut Sauce

Reviewed: Sep. 27, 2009

Very good sauce! I added some stuff too it only because I like mine a little more flavorfull. For the chicken however, I spiced it up with some mint, cumin, corriander, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. The I added it to a skillet that was already simmering with curry paste and olive oil. Coated it well and cooked until chicken was almost done. Then I added about 1/2 cup of coconut milk and lemongrass and let it simmer down until thick. Delicious!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
2 users found this review helpful

Dark Chocolate Cake I

Reviewed: Sep. 25, 2009

Here are a few tips that you can apply to most cakes. 1) Grease your pans and then line with parchment paper, grease parchment paper 2) Use 1 cup coffee and 1 cup milk 3) You don't have to sift the dry ingredients, just take a whisk after you combine them and whisk well 4) Use a LARGE Tablespoon of Mayo when you add the eggs 5) Add 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil with eggs 6) Replace vanilla extract with vanilla bean paste 7) Replace all-purpose flour with cake flour Also, if you plan on frosting this, let the cake cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap (make sure no cake is exposed to air), then stick in the freezer over night. Take it out and put it on your cake board pulling off the parchment paper ONLY when you are ready to add the next layer..this will keep your cake from falling apart on you. "Crumb" coat it with a thin layer of frosting and stick in the fridge to harden up. This will prevent crumbs from getting into decorating frosting. Hope this helps! This will add moistness for those of you who were finding this cake to be dry!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
28 users found this review helpful

Awesome Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

Reviewed: Aug. 28, 2009

EVERYONE always asks me for this recipe! I've been making it for a few years now... I always use granny smith apples, fresh cranberries, sourdough and potato bread, chardonnay, and FRESH herbs! This truly is the best stuffing! Thank you!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
3 users found this review helpful

Waffles I

Reviewed: Aug. 26, 2009

I read a lot of the reviews saying how bland the waffles were but overall good. Here is what I did differently: 1) Seperated the eggs and beat the whites until they formed soft peaks. 2) Replaced regular milk with buttermilk, and infused the milk with a split vanilla bean for 10 minutes... Strained vanilla bean and seeds 3) Replaced the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (hard to find, but some specialty food stores carry it) 4) Add a tablespoon of Best Foods mayo for extra fluffiness! (I know it sounds weird but it's an old trick!) 5) Fold in egg whites last! With the egg whites, fold in a GOOD drizzle of pure maple syrup. I topped the waffles with fried chicken, warm maple syrup and powdered sugar! (My husband wanted to try wings and waffles after seeing it on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives!) Next time I will make them for breakfast and add some blueberries and slivered almonds! *** For the holidays, you can make these with pumpkin puree and cut down on the milk and add sweetened condensed milk (infused with a cinnamon stick and vanilla bean), nutmeg, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice***

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
2 users found this review helpful

Gingerbread Men

Reviewed: Dec. 20, 2008

I thought I reviewed this back in 2006, but I guess I never did. This is a fantastic alternative to the classic gingerbread men! It is not over loaded with molasses and ginger and instead offers a butterscotch ginger flavor that is perfect!! I couldn't find ANY instant or stove top butterscotch pudding so I went ahead and bought a 4 pack of kraft ready to eat butterscotch pudding. This worked like a charm! I also baked the cookies 2 minutes under the original time and they came out so moist and delicious! Thank you for this awesome recipe!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
4 users found this review helpful

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Reviewed: Nov. 25, 2008

This is a fantastic recipe and so easy! I didn't have any regular powdered milk, so I used the powdered vanilla coffee creamer I had in the cuboard and it turnes out delicious! I used it for "Brown Family's Favorite Pumpkin Pie" from this site and the result was mouth watering to say the least! Thank you so much!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
24 users found this review helpful

Brown Family's Favorite Pumpkin Pie

Reviewed: Nov. 25, 2008

This was very good! I didn't have any sweetned condensed milk so I made some from scratch and only had vanilla milk powder so the condensed milk was more flavorfull and it really added a rich taste to the pie. Because I had some vanilla in there, I added more pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, and about 3 TBS of PURE maple syrup (give or take). This was a big hit as soon as I brought it to the command potluck today...it was on the table for 5 minutes and all but 3 pieces were gone!! Thank you so much!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Rolled Fondant

Reviewed: Nov. 5, 2008

A tip for rolling out fondant is to use parchment paper generously coated in corn starch. For easy transfer to your cake, dust off the corn starch with a pasrty brush and then gently wrap it around your rolling pin like you would with pie crust. This recipe always works great for me and I live in a VERY humid climate where you have to use fondant on every cake because any type of buttercream would melt as soon as you stepped outside! I have tried a few different MM Fondant recipes in the past and I had NO luck with them. Fondant is hard to get where I live so I am sooo glad I was finally able to find a recipe that works really well! Thanks for sharing!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
17 users found this review helpful

Curried Coconut Chicken

Reviewed: Oct. 15, 2008

I had to give it four stars ONLY because I changed it a little bit. This is a good recipe doubled because left overs the next night are VERY flavorfull! I added half chicken and half shrimp (but only add the shrimp at the end so it wouldn't be chewy). I also added 1 small can of bamboo shoots, and about 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms. Cut down the tomato sauce by about 1/4 (because my husband doesn't like tomato sauce at all), and then served it over fried rice. It was amazing. The only thing I will do different next time is make it more spicy and even add a little more coconut milk. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Coconut Shrimp I

Reviewed: Oct. 14, 2008

This was very good. I double dipped the shrimp though so the coconut would stay on when I rolled it through. I didn't have all the stuff for the marmalade so I served it with sweet chili sauce instead which was good too!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful