jenncc's Profile

Joined: September 3rd, 2011


Latest review:

March 25th, 2024

A Very Banana-y Banana Bread from Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook: A Cookbook

This is a wonderful banana bread with bananas as the star and brown butter in the supporting role. No spice, no chocolate chips and no nuts needed. My 4 bananas came in closer to 400-410 grams and the... read more >


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jenncc's Reviews


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1248 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title

100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More

By Sarah Kieffer
Chronicle Books - 2020

14th May 2021 (edited: 14th May 2021)

White Chocolate, Rosemary, and Apricot Cookies

I love these cookies! I used Trader Joe's Dried Blenheim Apricots which are nice and tangy, skimped a little on the Ghirardelli white chocolate chips and used Penzey's dried rosemary (tho recipe calls for fresh) and they came out wonderfully balanced. Flavor was great, texture was nice and chewy with crispy edges and they are even better after a few hours rest.

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4th January 2022

Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies

These have excellent texture - chewy with crisp edges. The flavor is good but I think a little bit of spice or maybe more molasses would help. While I though these lacked oomph everyone else loved them, hence the rating.

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13th February 2023

Ginger Cookies

Love these! Great flavor and texture - a little spicy, chewy and crisp in all the right places, nice cracks and crannies, and no need to chill before baking. I made them largish and had to bake an extra minute or two for chewy cookie centers and crisp edges.

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Website: 101 Cookbooks

www.101cookbooks.com
 

3rd June 2016

Plum and Peach Crisp

Loved the chunky topping and the hint of orange flower. This is a somewhat reduced fat recipe with half the butter being replaced by yogurt (I used Greek) and less sugar all around (I used brown). I halved the peach/plum filling but made the entire crumb topping with the intention of baking some up separately for ice cream topping. This came together quickly and would be delicious with many other fruits.

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The 1997 Joy of Cooking

By Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, Irma S. Rombauer
Scribner - 1997

17th September 2013

Grated Butternut Squash Gratin

This is a super simple heart side dish. Ok. grating is a bit of a pain, but not any worse than peeling squash - that's the real battle (imo). I used a Red Leicester cheese and added a dash of cayenne pepper. It was delicious.

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2nd March 2019

Tapioca Custard

Perfect comfort food for a rainy day! This is a basic recipe with a couple variations (with 2 eggs, 1 egg or no eggs/with 3 tablespoons tapioca or 4). I used 1 egg, skimped on the sugar by a tablespoon or so, and used slightly over 3 tablespoons tapioca. I let it sit and brought it to a very slow simmer with a cinnamon stick to give it a subtle warm flavor. After it cooled it was creamy with just a little jiggle;)

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This is a basic Mac and Cheese recipe,and while it is good, it was a little denser than I prefer. My favorite recipes yield a looser, creamier mac and cheese. I also did not particularly enjoy the addition of onion and bay leaf.

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Ad Hoc at Home

By Thomas Keller
Artisan - 2009

19th April 2012

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

This is a basic carrot cake, and I liked that it didn't have pineapple, but it was lacking in spice and less moist than I've made in the past. If you need a carrot cake go with Sweet Melissa Murphy's recipe - it's amazing!

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Website: Add a Pinch

addapinch.com
 

10th February 2024 (edited: 6th March 2024)

The Best Chocolate Cake

This is a very quick, simple recipe, and a darn good cake too. I made a three layer cake (8 inch) without having to adjust the recipe and filled it with her Perfect Chocolate Buttercream. Moist and chocolatey without being overly rich and heavy. I will use this recipe again for sure!

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Website: Add a Pinch

addapinch.com
 

Smooth and decadent without being overly sweet. I used mostly regular cocoa powder, subbing about 1/3 cup with Hershey's special dark c.p. This frosting was easy to spread with a smooth finish and pipe-able. This made exactly enough for frosting a filling a three layer, 8 inch cake.

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Website: Ahead of Thyme

www.aheadofthyme.com
 

24th September 2022

Easy Coconut Rice

Just the right amount of sweetness and not overly coconut-y. I halved this recipe.

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Website: Alexandras kitchen

www.alexandracooks.com
 

These are soft and pliable, taste great, and an excellent use of my discard. Made 10 "taco size" tortillas

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

29th May 2013

Naan

Reading the reviews was helpful - I cooked in a dry cast iron skillet, added less sugar (cut it to 1 heaping tablespoon) and used only 3 1/2 cups of flour. Came out great! I also used ghee instead of melted butter. I may use the more traditional yogurt over milk next time next time.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

29th January 2014 (edited: 17th August 2016)

Almond and Soy Nut Power Bars

These are excellent! I changed the flavors a bit since I am not a chocolate fan, instead using lemon flavored chips (like chocolate chips, but lemon:), butterscotch chips, dried berries, and whatever nuts I have on hand. This bar holds together, has great texture and just the right sweetness! They freeze well too.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

These were moist and tasty with a perfectly tender crumb. I ended up with 12 muffins and a small coffee cake (mini loaf pan size). The cornmeal is a nice addition, giving the muffins a bit of texture.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

24th October 2015 (edited: 23rd April 2016)

Chard Lentil Soup Lebanese Style

Excellent!! Made with kale and only had 1/2 cup lemon juice but it was perfect.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

12th October 2015

Carne Guisada II

Love this! It reminds me of the Tex-Mex tacos I am always homesick for. Mine doesn't take the 8-12 hours suggested but more like 4 or 5 hours. I have made this in the slow cooker as well (cook time about 5 hours). I do add about 1/2 an onion which I brown before adding the meat.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

12th September 2015 (edited: 24th May 2016)

Cinnamon Stove Top Granola

Love this simple granola. The molasses (I occasionally use sorghum) adds a wonderful depth and compliments the cinnamon wonderfully. The combination of toasted pecans and dried tart cherries or blueberries works really well. This is a softer granola that doesn't really cluster or crisp unless you bake it in a low (325 degree) oven for a bit. Either way let it cool completely before digging in.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

19th January 2016

Stovetop Granola

First time I followed the recipe and it was very good and super simple. The second time around I added the fruit and nuts before the granola cooled completely and cut into bars, and that was also terrific. I always add cinnamon or some other spice to this very versitile recipe.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

24th March 2016

Parmesan Chicken II

These were crispy and tasty! That said I did follow others lead in making some adjustments making a half recipe- added herbs, white pepper and about 1/3 cup bread crumbs, some Italian herbs, and par boiled the chicken about 15 minutes before dredging and baking. It came out tender and delicious.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

22nd July 2016

Focaccia di Recco

This is an excellent recipe - thorough directions and worth the effort. Not like a typical focaccia, this is 2 layers of paper thin dough with cheese dropped in between. Great with an arugula salad, or for a more substantial meal with a homemade caponata. I got 2 full size focaccia's and one smaller one. I used the recommended cheese for two of them (delicious) and fontina with torn strips of prosciutto - also great!

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

Simple and tasty.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

30th August 2016 (edited: 10th November 2018)

Asian Coconut Rice

I halved this recipe and allowed the rice to caramelize a bit on the bottom for a bit of crunch. Delicious!

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

This was pretty good, if not a tad bit too sweet. I added some room temperature cream cheese to offset the cloying sweetness and it was much better.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

24th December 2016 (edited: 24th December 2016)

Sugar Cookie Icing

This makes for a beautiful cookie - glossy and hardens just enough. I did need an additional teaspoon of milk to make mine spreadable/pipe smoothly.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

Tasty sauce. Ate with a homemade buckwheat pasta (Washington Post). I sauteed the mushrooms with thyme, oregano, garlic and a tiny bit of onion before adding the other ingredients. Used water instead of broth and it was still very flavorful. Topped with some bacon.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

26th January 2018

Hot Carob

This is a great alternative to hot cocoa. I used toasted carob (Bob's Red Mill) and hazelnut milk. The recipe calls for 1 T. honey which was a little too sweet for me, however the use of the nut milk could also account for that. Either way I will be making this again, cutting the honey and enjoying!

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

I love rice pudding and this one was no exception - comforting, not too sweet and creamy. I had no problems incorporating the egg into the hot mixture, but it did take longer than 10 minutes to reach an appropriate level of doneness and to get the milk absorbed. I prefer making my pudding with a shorter grain rice and will try that next time.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

13th January 2019 (edited: 13th January 2019)

Mexina Salsa Verde

This made good use of the lingering green tomatoes from my garden. I did add a pinch of chili powder and cumin to balance my flavors a bit.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

2nd June 2019 (edited: 23rd March 2024)

Fluffy Pancakes

"Fluffy" Pancakes were requested this morning and these fit the bill. Wonderful texture, flavor and easy as any pancakes recipe.
Make these all the time. Most recently I only had a few tablespoons of buttermilk, so I used mostly yogurt and they were fantastic! Still fluffy but also a bit thick, super moist and chewy (in a good way).

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

7th July 2019 (edited: 30th April 2023)

Super Lemon Ice Cream

This came out perfect - creamy, tart, sweet and refreshing! My new favorite Lemon treat. I was worried my eggs may have scrambled a bit so I strained and texture was wonderful. I think allowing the ice cream to "cure" overnight in the fridge was helpful to both taste and texture. Made this again 6/22/20 and I have to say this is the best use of five egg yolks I can think of! So delicious!

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

28th April 2020

Potato Chips

These are easy and really hit the spot when you need a little salty crunch to go with your meal. I cut my potato using a mandolin, tossed in oil, sprinkled with salt (before cooking) and microwaved on parchment placed directly on the revolving plate of the microwave. I tried using a plate and they stuck a bit and did not cook as evenly.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

7th June 2020

Lamb Shank Vindaloo

Other than scaling this recipe back I followed this recipe closely. It wasn't as spicy as expected and I am not sure how authentic it is but it was delicious served over rice.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

This is a pretty good dressing. I scaled this down based on other reviewers ratios.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

4th January 2021

Traditional Popovers

Just as I remember as a kid right down to placing a pat butter in each cup. These are plain and can be eaten with savory (roast) or sweet (honey or jam). I agree with other reviews recommending baking at 425 for 15 minutes, then 325 for an additional 10-15 minutes. Cheese, spices or herbs would be a nice addition to these for added flavor.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

27th February 2021 (edited: 10th July 2022)

Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Fantastic! I marinated my chicken for 3-4 hours and the potatoes for 2 hours. My chicken didn't get as crispy as I would have liked so I set it under the broiler for 6-8 minutes. The potatoes were slightly crisp on the outside and creamy inside. I did reduce the olive oil as other reviews suggested. Loved the lemony flavor of this dish!

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

Not sure if its the best but we enjoy it. I like that this doesn't make a huge amount and isn't made up of mostly mayonnaise. Serve often with a wedge salad.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

These are my go to blueberry muffins. I usually make them as written but have occasionally subbed buttermilk or yogurt for milk, or added vanilla or lemon zest. What I always do is form the crumble topping into a large mass and stick it in the freezer while I am preparing the muffins, then when ready to top I break it into large crumbs almost like a coffee cake. This helps the crumble from completely melting into the muffins in the oven and we prefer the larger pieces of topping.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

This is my go-to biscuit recipe, except I sub about 2 tablespoons of the shortening with butter. This rise high and have great flaky layers. I bake mine in a 10 inch cast iron, sides barely touching.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

6th November 2021 (edited: 26th November 2021)

Fresh Lime Curd

I have made this many times and it always comes out great. This time I was a little short on sugar -only had about 1/2 cup , so I decreased the lime juice just under 1/2 cup to compensate. And again it was sweet, tart and delicious! I have used this as written for lemon curd as well.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

15th November 2021

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

Pancakes for dinner! These were simple and delicious - light and fluffy without being fragile/hard to flip. I did use the juice of 1/2 a lemon (about 2 T.) and I have made these with GF flour with success.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

This is a Very Good Banana Bread - not Best Ever, but certainly would eat or make again. I did cut back on the sugar a bit and glad I did otherwise this would have been quite sweet. This is certainly moist and definitely tasty, but I think I may prefer the Flour Bakery recipe.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

9th July 2022 (edited: 1st December 2022)

Sadie's Buttermilk Biscuits

This is a fantastic recipe. I do prefer using half butter half lard for optimal flakiness and flavor. This recipe is easily halved for 7 good sized biscuits (and one tiny knot).

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

6th August 2022

Key Lime Pie

I halved this recipe and made it into bars. Nice balance of tart and sweet. Didn't get a lot of "pinholes" bubbling but it was done in 6 minutes (tho may take longer if making the full recipe).

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

When I am making leftover rice rice pudding this is the recipe I use. It is super creamy and though I prefer to cut the sugar by about a tablespoon, most everyone else likes it as written. I do recommend tempering the egg as well as adding a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

30th December 2022 (edited: 30th December 2022)

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Great texture and flavor - could only be improved with a bit of cinnamon or other spice. I used 1 scant cup pecans instead of almonds. Baked 20 minutes.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

3rd February 2023

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

I liked this with the following adjustments - added more cinnamon, cloves ginger and nutmeg, decreased sugar to about 3/4 cup using half granulated and half dark brown. I cooked this in individual ramekins for about 45-50 minutes.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

2nd September 2023 (edited: 2nd September 2023)

Pastry Cream

This was simple to make and tasty. I think next time I will probably use a vanilla bean instead and perhaps a tiny pinch of salt. I used the entire amount for a 9 inch fruit tart piled high with berries.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

13th November 2023

Worlds Best Lasagna

I have made this with meat, without meat (using mushrooms/veggies), with sausage, without sausage, with spicy sausage instead of sweet, etc.. I have even left out the tomato sauce, just using crushed and paste tomatoes. It really is best as written, but also infinitely adaptable.

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Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

18th November 2023

Best Ever Pie Crust

I never expected this to be "best ever", mostly due to the lack of butter (which IMO gives better flavor to a pie crust). I was short on butter and chose this all shortening crust recipe. It was very soft even after time in the fridge, making it difficult to roll out. Flavor was ok. I used this for a pot pie.

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