Astrid5555's Reviews
58 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title
Pure Dessert
By Alice Medrich
Artisan - 2007
I used these as a healthier alternative for cutout cookies with my kids. They just loved these cookies and we will definitely make them again.
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Weekend Baking
By Sarah Randell
Ryland Peters & Small - 2010
This was the first roulade I managed to roll up without any issues. Nothing stuck - it was a real joy to work with!
The apricot filling was also excellent and I will definitely make this one again!
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Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
By Alice Medrich
Artisan - 2010
Excellent taste - however only 4 stars due the fact that I just could not roll out the dough and use the cookie cutters. The dough was either too hard to be rolled out or stuck to the recommended wax paper. In the end I shaped a log, put it in the freezer and then sliced it with a sharp knife.
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Weekend Baking
By Sarah Randell
Ryland Peters & Small - 2010
This is a very easy to make chocolate cake which everybody will like. Excellent for your kids' birthday parties!
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Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011
This is a quick and easy meal for a warm summer night. 4 stars only because it was not as outstanding as most of Heidi's other dishes I have tried from this book but still very nice.
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Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, From Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan
By Nancie McDermott
Chronicle Books - 2010
This pie is very simple to make but too sweet. Next time I would reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup and use another piecrust. I made Sandra Gutierrez's Butter Piecrust from the same book and it did not turn out flaky enough for my taste. But overall it was a nice pie with potential.
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The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accessories
By David Lebovitz
Ten Speed Press,U.S. - 2007
I know I am repeating myself - every recipe from this book turns out great. This one was especially easy to prepare. No need to make a custard, just macerate the berries, puree them with the yogurt, put the whole thing into your ice-cream maker - and there it is, the best strawberry frozen yogurt ever!!
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A Year in my Kitchen
By Skye Gyngell
Quadrille Publishing Ltd - 2008
This is a delicious spring salad! The raw asparagus was a positive surprise.
I tweaked the original recipe a little though: I used raw baby spinach leaves plus lemon basil, left the asparagus spears whole and blanched them for 1 minute and put a poached egg on top.
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The Modern Vegetarian: Over 120 Recipes to Wake Up Your Palate
By Maria Elia
Kyle Books - 2009
Lovely combination with the red dhal from page 114. Next time I will leave out the saffron though (I am not a big fan) and add more chilli to make it spicier.
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Plenty
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Jonathan Lovekin
Ebury Press - 2010
Delicious topping but not sure about the dough base. Maybe my chickpea flour was rancid or I'm just not into it. However, I will definitely use the onion-tomato topping for a regular pizza again.
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Seasonal Fruit Desserts: From Orchard, Farm, and Market
By Deborah Madison
Broadway - 2010
More of a batter than a pie pastry, this one is put together in minutes. Just press it into the tart pan with your fingers and you have an excellent tart base for any recipe.
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Pure Dessert
By Alice Medrich
Artisan - 2007
If you like sesame this is THE cake to bake. Exotic looking black sesame seeds give this cake a nice little crunch which is a great contrast to the velvet texture of the cake.
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Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, From Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan
By Nancie McDermott
Chronicle Books - 2010
This piecrust comes together in a snap but I had troubles rolling out the dough even after 30 minutes at room temperature. The recommended 1 teaspoon salt also makes it too salty for my taste. Next time I will use my go-to piecrust again!
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Super Natural Cooking: Five Delicious Ways to Incorporate Whole and Natural Foods into Your Cooking
By Heidi Swanson
Celestial Arts - 2007
Unlike any other tomato soup you have ever tried. Just let the vegetables bake in the oven and soon you will have a hearty satisfying soup you want to cook over and over again!
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Coming Home to Eat: Wholefood for the Family
By Jude Blereau
Murdoch Books - 2008
A variation on the classic chickpea hummus this version adds a completely new twist to sandwiches or wraps. Simply delicious!
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Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts: 150 Recipes for Old-Fashioned and Modern Favourites
By Martha Stewart
Clarkson Potter - 2011
No one wanted to eat this pie because it was way too sweet. However, the red currant and raspberry combination has potential, so I will give it another try and reduce the sugar by half next time. 2 stars despite the sugar fiasco for the flaky Pâte Briseé which I will definitely use again for another pie.
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Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate
By Alice Medrich, Deborah Jones
Artisan - 2003
This has become my go-to chocolate cake recipe! Quick and easy to make this recipe produces a rich cake for every chocolate lover.
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Bon Appetit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet and Wonderful
By Barbara Fairchild
Andrews McMeel Publishing - 2010
This was a gorgeous looking light and creamy cheesecake which tasted delicious. 4 stars only because it was lacking the pistachio flavor despite of 1 expensive cup used in the recipe. Next time I will try it with peanuts or almonds instead.
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Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
By Alice Medrich
Artisan - 2010
If you love peanut butter these are your cookies! Lots of peanut flavor and very little time involved. Try it!
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Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011
4 stars only because my mung beans were mushy. The tempeh, however, was really tasty and the broccoli added a nice crunch. A definite must cook again!
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Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery
By Rose Carrarini
Phaidon Press - 2006
Simple, quick and delicious! I flatten the cookies with a fork before baking though since they do not spread at all.
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Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011
My children declared these to be the best pancakes ever, and we have already tried our share. They are really light and fluffy with a nice tang from the buttermilk. These will be our go-to pancakes from now on!
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The Accidental Vegetarian: Delicious and Eclectic Food Without Meat
By Simon Rimmer
Cassell Illustrated - 2004
Simple to make and very tasty - exquisite flavor combination!
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Leon: Ingredients and Recipes
By Allegra McEvedy
Conran Octopus Ltd - 2008
These have become our go-to meatballs for the whole family. Just leave out the harissa and you have family-friendly version as well.
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A Year in my Kitchen
By Skye Gyngell
Quadrille Publishing Ltd - 2008
This is the highlight of your summer dinner party! Use only perfect fruit and you will not be disappointed.
The only issue I had with the recipe is that my crème anglaise took more than 30 minutes to reach the desired consistency not the 10 mentioned by the author. Thank god I used a thermometer to take the temperature of the custard so I knew I had to turn up the heat, otherwise I would be still stirring at the lowest possible heat waiting for my custard to thicken ;-).
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Plenty
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Jonathan Lovekin
Ebury Press - 2010
Wow - very easy to make and incredibly delicious!
I did not know that roasting peppers yourself can be that easy and makes such a difference. Since I did not find any watercress I used arugula instead.
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Rose's Heavenly Cakes
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Wiley - 2009
Best marble cake ever!
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Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011
If you can't be bothered by making a traditional pie crust and love coconut then this one is for you. Simply press the dough into the tart pan, add the fruit and macaroon filling and enjoy!
I used whole spelt flour and cherries instead of whole wheat flour and blackberries and the tart got rave reviews.
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Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
By Alice Medrich
Artisan - 2010
Delicious - I just love the saltiness of the nuts in these cookies!
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These lovely little desserts are just the right size for a quick chocolate pick-me-up and come together in no time! I will definitely make them again!
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Raising the Salad Bar: Beyond Leafy Greens--Inventive Salads with Beans, Whole Grains, Pasta, Chicken, and More
By Catherine Walthers
Lake Isle Press - 2007
Wow, what a great salad for a warm spring day! Roasting the canned artichokes really made a difference. Asparagus and lemon lovers this one is for you - don't miss out!
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Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights: Guilt-free Eating with Abandon
By Sophie Dahl
Harper - 2008
This turned out to be a very dense cake and I had expected a fluffy light one as pictured in the book. However, if you are a lemon lover this cake is for you.
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Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours
By Kim Boyce, Quentin Bacon, Nancy Silverton, Amy Scattergood
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2010
These were lovely! The hazelnuts paired incredibly well with the teff flour and keeping the skins on added an incredible taste and saved a lot of time.
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The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accessories
By David Lebovitz
Ten Speed Press,U.S. - 2007
If you happen to have ripe apricots on hand this is a very easy one to make.
Since I had made the strawberry frozen yoghurt on page 91 previously and just loved it, I used yoghurt instead of heavy cream (also to cut down on the calories) which added a nice tang and made it into a little bit of an adult but very delicious ice cream.
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Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours
By Kim Boyce, Quentin Bacon, Nancy Silverton, Amy Scattergood
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2010
I used buttermilk instead of cream to reduce the calories and the waffles turned out to be delicious! A definite keeper!
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Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate
By Alice Medrich, Deborah Jones
Artisan - 2003
Not very nice to look at, thus the name fallen, but a definite keeper and very quick to put together. This cake got rave reviews from my dinner guests.
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Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery
By Rose Carrarini
Phaidon Press - 2006
Once you have made the meringues this a quick and easy dessert that everybody loves. I made it with strawberries this time but will definitely try again with other fruit.
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Raising the Salad Bar: Beyond Leafy Greens--Inventive Salads with Beans, Whole Grains, Pasta, Chicken, and More
By Catherine Walthers
Lake Isle Press - 2007
This makes an excellent and refreshing side for a barbecue! Use lots of fresh cilantro for your salsa and you will be in salad heaven!
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Seasonal Fruit Desserts: From Orchard, Farm, and Market
By Deborah Madison
Broadway - 2010
With the silky tart dough from page 136 as a base this is the quickest tart I have ever made - it takes no more than an hour until the tart comes out of the oven.
I used blackberries and blueberries as a topping and the whole tart was devoured within an hour!
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Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen
By Gina DePalma, Mario Batali
W.W. Norton & Co. - 2007
Even Cranberry-hating hubby loved it. Since I could not wait for the dough (which has a nice chewy texture from the polenta) to be chilled long enough to roll it out, I just pressed it into the tart pan and it worked perfectly as well.
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Rose's Heavenly Cakes
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Wiley - 2009
The recipe yields exactly the amount of dough needed for a classic brioche mold. Very little hands-on time, but it takes 2 days until the final result can be tasted. Unfortunately with all the rising time needed this is not a breakfast staple, but it was excellent with some butter and jam and a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon. I will definitely make it again.
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Perfect Pops
By Charity Ferriera
Chronicle Books - 2011
Nice chocolatey flavor, not too sweet and a bit tangy - excellent reviews by children and adults alike. 4 stars only because of the calories involved - 1 cup of crème fraiche, 1 cup half&half and 4 ounces of chocolate - all in 6 pops!
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Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours
By Kim Boyce, Quentin Bacon, Nancy Silverton, Amy Scattergood
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2010
Event though I have had great success with other recipes from this book I truly disliked these muffins.
They were incredibly dry and the persimmon pulp added to the strange taste. Will not make again!
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The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accessories
By David Lebovitz
Ten Speed Press,U.S. - 2007
Best chocolate ice cream ever - my first attempt at home-made ice cream worked out really well!
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Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours
By Kim Boyce, Quentin Bacon, Nancy Silverton, Amy Scattergood
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2010
Excellent cookies - no one tasted the secret ingredient whole-wheat flour. I made only half a batch (i.e. 10 cookies) and they were gone within hours.
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Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate
By Alice Medrich, Deborah Jones
Artisan - 2003
4 stars only because it is a very "adult" cheesecake and my boys did not like it. But if you were always looking for a less sweet and more chocolatey cheesecake give it a try.
A note re baking time: my cake took took 15 minutes more to reach the described puffiness on the outer edges without being overly fluid in the center.
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Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
By Alice Medrich
Artisan - 2010
Initially I thought that this recipe would be a failure because the dough spread quickly once put on the cookie sheet. Instead of 2 loaves there was a big mass of dough without shape, however the dough puffed up quickly and produced two flat loaves which could be cut and toasted.
The finished biscotti were extra crunchy and tasted very good. Next time I would add a little bit more sugar, but for a low calorie version these biscotti work well enough.
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Even though I am a big chestnut lover, these cookies turned out strange. I loved the walnut part of the cookie, but the chestnut flour added a very strange taste. Next time I will just add the walnuts and leave out the chestnut flour.
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Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours
By Kim Boyce, Quentin Bacon, Nancy Silverton, Amy Scattergood
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2010
Spicy, sweet, crunchy, healthy - yummy! Mine yielded 9 instead of 8 and lots more streusel topping than needed.
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Fresh Food Fast: Delicious, Seasonal Vegetarian Meals in Under an Hour
By Peter Berley
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2004
This is a lovely salad for a warm summer evening I would like to eat over and over again. Since I did not have currants at hand I used raisins instead and it worked out really well.
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