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 >


recipe reviews (1248)
book reviews (1)
useful review votes (213)

jenncc's Reviews


Search Reviews:

1248 recipes reviewed. Showing 1101 to 1150Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title

Website: Smitten Kitchen

www.smittenkitchen.com
 

4th February 2024

Ginger fried rice

Really enjoyed this! I used leftover short grain brown rice and added green onion and a little jalapeno. Quick and easy.

useful (0)  


The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

By Deb Perelman
Knopf - 2012

14th January 2013 (edited: 19th March 2018)

Sesame-Spiced Turkey Meatballs and Smashed Chickpea Salad

This was a great middle eastern-ish dish. I did make a tahini sauce to go with it.

useful (0)  


29th May 2013 (edited: 16th April 2017)

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

Deb elevates a childhood favorite with brown butter and a touch of flaky sea salt. These are addictive!

useful (0)  


I Love This Cake! I love the crunchy cornmeal topping, the moist, tender cake and the simplicity of the whole thing! This is one of those "greater than the sum of it's parts/ effort" recipes - common ingredients come together easily to create something truly delicious. I did use yogurt instead of sour cream.

useful (0)  


Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites

By Deb Perelman
Knopf - 2017

This is a wonderfully decadent version of tomato soup! The roasting of canned tomatoes is a novel idea and perfect for when winter tomato pickings are slim. The roasting adds great depth of flavor and is certainly worth the extra steps. I made half a recipe using 4 small cloves of garlic and added a pinch of oregano and basil. The bread and cheddar topping was divine! I used homemade, thick sliced sandwich bread and a combo of sharp yellow and white cheddars. So, so delicious!

useful (0)  


Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen

By Edward Lee
Artisan - 2013

20th January 2014

Blue Cheese Dressing

Basic blue cheese dressing. I used this for my wedge salad. It did not call for mayo, was simple and did the job. Is it the best b.c.d. ever? No, but it was good and along some crumbled bacon "dressed" my wedge adequately.
This recipe is specifically for an Ambrosia Salad which may account for it's milder flavor.

useful (0)  


Soframiz: Vibrant Middle Eastern Recipes from Sofra Bakery and Cafe

By Ana Sortun, Maura Kilpatrick
Ten Speed Press - 2016

1st April 2017

Za'atar Spiced Almonds

If you like za'atar you will appreciate these! Love the addition of sumac for that tang, and lemon zest for a bit of a floral note. I used both sliced and silvered almonds.

useful (0)  


Southern Biscuits

By Nathalie Dupree, Cynthia Graubart
Gibbs Smith - 2011

25th April 2016

Busty Yogurt Biscuits

Loved the tangy flavor from the yogurt! The texture was good and they got nice a crisp around the edges but didn't "triple in size" unfortunately.

useful (0)  


I know people have had success with this recipe (also listed on Leite's Culinaria website) but mine were kinda plain and did not raise to any great heights. That said I did have to make my own self rising flour so maybe my measurements were off?? I will try this again because it is SUCH a simple recipe (only 2 ingredients if you have the Lily White).

useful (0)  


Website: Souvlaki For the Soul

souvlakiforthesoul.com
 

This was a tasty bread pudding type of dessert. I did not expect this to puff up as much as it did - definitely did not look like the picture. I did notice this recipe called for more baking powder than others I looked at. I chose this recipe because it seemed to have less sugar and oil than others (and with all the syrup I was not afraid of it not being sweet enough). I added a cinnamon stick to my syrup and did not add it all to the cake.

useful (0)  


Website: The Splendid Table

splendidtable.publicradio.org
 

This is a great recipe but docked a star here because oiling the pan did not work well for me. I baked some on a greased cookie sheet and some on parchment lined sheet. The cookies on the greased sheet burned around the edges at 8 minutes! The cookies on the parchment were much better. I will update this recipe once I have chilled the dough a bit. The milk powder and extra salt really adds a nice flavor. I love these salty sweet, perfectly chewy cookies!

I did not use a whole bag of chocolate chips.

Note: There are other versions of this recipe that calls for parchment paper, 375 (vs 350 degrees), as well as one that asks you to sprinkle these with 1/4 cup flaky salt (seems like a lot to me). Wish I knew which was actually Tosi's recipe!

useful (0)  


The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods

By Sara Forte, Hugh Forte
Ten Speed Press - 2012

30th January 2014 (edited: 31st October 2016)

Granola Protein Bars

As tempted as I was to swap out cherries for blueberries and cashews for walnuts, I did not and stuck to the recipe - and was so glad I did! These are tasty, have great texture (a little bit crispy a little bit chewy), and keep well. I can think of many fruit/nut combinations that would be delicious, as well as swapping the brown rice syrup for honey or maple syrup. One caution - my sliced almonds got a little too brown and had to come out of the oven at around 7 minutes (rather than 10).

useful (0)  


Loved these! They are flavorful, adaptable and hold together. I did a Mexican take on this subbing soy sauce with chipotle in adobo, some zucchini a cup of the mushrooms, cilantro for the parsley and black beans for the chickpeas. Skipped the dates and oats (it was dry enough for shaping).

useful (0)  


Website: The Spruce Eats

www.thespruceeats.com
 

19th January 2024 (edited: 19th January 2024)

Nova Scotia Oatcakes

Love these cracker/cookie snacks. They are a little salty, a little sweet and very versatile - great with cheese or fruit but also nice on their own. These came together easily. The flavor is buttery rich without being heavy, with a slight caramel flavor. I didn't have quite enough brown sugar so I used a couple tablespoons of golden syrup. Also added pecans. I did cook the extra 5 minutes for a crunchier texture.

useful (0)  


Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook: A Cookbook

By Sohla El-Waylly
Knopf - 2023

25th March 2024 (edited: 25th March 2024)

A Very Banana-y Banana Bread

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 bread needed a little longer in the oven (tented the last 15-20 minutes). Also I believe the recipe could be better written/needs an edit. She should probably have started with the brown butter since it needs to sit in the fridge until creamy (after browning). This takes at least 20 minutes. I would do this before mashing bananas etc., even could be done ahead of time. Also the ingredients list calls for 2 whole eggs (and 1 yolk), but in the directions there is only reference to one egg to be added to bananas. I used 2.

useful (0)  


Website: Steamy Kitchen

steamykitchen.com
 

Very tasty! I roasted the brussels sprouts about 10 minutes extra to get them nice and crisp. Threw in the loose leaves the last 10 minutes along with the sauce (did not use the broiler, just continued to roast @ 400).

useful (0)  


Website: Sugar Geek Show

sugargeekshow.com
 

27th April 2022 (edited: 27th April 2022)

White Velvet Buttermilk Cake

This is a wonderful white cake - moist and fluffy with a tender crumb. The frosting is also great - comes together easily, not too sweet, and pipes well. I did have some air bubbles but those were smoothed over with a slightly warmed offset spatula.

useful (0)  


Website: Sugar Geek Show

sugargeekshow.com
 

26th June 2022 (edited: 26th June 2022)

Easy Chocolate Buttercream

This is a "faux Swiss Meringue" which comes together quickly and taste great. My problem however was that this was very soft! There was only a small window when it was pipe-able, before getting too soft. I followed the recipe to a tee, including all the troubleshooting tips but I'm not sure I'll be making this one again.

useful (0)  


Website: Sugar Geek Show

sugargeekshow.com
 

26th June 2022 (edited: 10th February 2024)

Moist Vanilla Cake

Truly delicious! Wonderful texture and taste- moist, fluffy, fine crumb, great vanilla flavor! I was slightly confused when referring to her cake/frosting calculator - it says 12 cups batter is needed for 3- 8 inch pans/3 layer 8 inch cake. The recipe headnote states this recipe only makes 8 cups, even tho all the pics show 3 layers and the instructions call for greasing 3 pans, and if you read deep enough into the reviews you will see she talks about this recipe, unaltered, should fit 3 - 6 inch pans. Because my pans were 8 inch , plus I needed 12 cupcakes, I planned on making this recipe twice (doubling was not recommended) - once using 2 - 8 inch pans, and second round using 1 -8 inch and a standard cupcake pan. Well, my first round almost spilled over! This was a lot of batter for 2 - 8 inch (2 inch deep pans)! In the end it was fine - I just had very thick cake layers. And as for the cupcakes I think her recipe for cupcakes (Moist and fluffy vanilla cupcakes) is better than using this recipe for c.cakes. Long story short, this recipe makes enough for 3 - 8 inch pans (no need to double). Now I know, and I will def use this recipe again!
I frosted with the Easy Chocolate Buttercream frosting from the same site.

useful (0)  


Website: Sugar Geek Show

sugargeekshow.com
 

26th June 2022

Easy Buttercream

This is silky smooth, slightly shiny and not too sweet. This would be my "forever frosting" but it wasn't quite stiff enough to pipe like I wanted it to. It comes out of the fridge hard (I made it the day before) but once it is soft, it is very soft. I had to keep putting my pastry bag back in the fridge for a few minutes. That said it was much easier to work with than the chocolate version. I used this on chocolate cupcakes.

useful (0)  


Website: Sugar Geek Show

sugargeekshow.com
 

26th June 2022 (edited: 23rd April 2023)

Moist and Fluffy Chocolate Cupcakes

These are great - yummy, perfect texture and slightly domed. Made 1/2 recipe for 12 standard size cupcakes. I think these were baked in 16 minutes, so check them early.

useful (0)  


Website: Sugar Geek Show

sugargeekshow.com
 

26th June 2022 (edited: 26th June 2022)

Moist and Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes

Best vanilla cupcakes! Not only moist and fluffy but really delicious too. Made a half recipe for 12 standard size cupcakes. Frosted with Easy Chocolate Buttercream (also from this site). Took these out at the 16 minutes mark and they were perfect.

useful (0)  


Website: Sugar Spun Run

www.sugarspunrun.com
 

6th November 2021 (edited: 6th March 2024)

Ermine frosting

This was a very thorough recipe complete with troubleshooting tips. I really liked the final product but it wasn't quite as glossy and airy as ermine frosting I have made in the past - could have been because I used a combination of milk and coconut milk but regardless I would not hesitate to try this or any of her other recipes again. I made this one day ahead, stored in the fridge overnight and left out on the counter for almost 2 hours (very cold kitchen) before frosting my cake.

useful (0)  


Website: Sugar Spun Run

www.sugarspunrun.com
 

Light, fluffy and not too sweet! This was perfect for icing 2 8 inch cake layers. I added lemon curd to the whipped cream just before adding the gelatin to make a lemon cream frosting, and it was great.

useful (0)  


Super Natural Cooking: Five Delicious Ways to Incorporate Whole and Natural Foods into Your Cooking

By Heidi Swanson
Celestial Arts - 2007

9th February 2012

Lime-Bathed Peanut Salad

This had great flavor and crunch! Next time I may add a little cayenne for kick. Nice Mexican meal side.

useful (0)  


Let me start by saying I would have never bought brussels sprouts :(, but when they showed up in my CSA basket I turned to someone I could trust to handle this tricky little cabbage. As usual Heidi kept it simple, coaxing good flavor out of this notorious vegetable.

useful (0)  


11th May 2013

Spiced Caramel Corn

YUM! I did not have the rice syrup and used Barley Malt Syrup instead - definitely a more assertive flavor (I used less than the 1/2 cup) but delicious none the less. Faintly reminiscent of Cracker Jacks (probably due to the substitution). Used almonds, peanuts and cashews. It's not easy, but wait for the caramel corn to cool a bit - it gets "drier" and less sticky and the spices really come through. Will experiment with other spices and nuts in the near future.

useful (0)  


This is a simple dish and very good as written but I found myself making variations - stirring in oven roasted tomatoes, spicy pesto and grilled red onions.

useful (0)  


I love these! I switched up the fruit, using apricots rather than cranberries, coconut sugar, and Rice Crispy's instead of the brown rice cereal (all I could find was "puffed"). They hold together better after some time in the fridge.

useful (0)  


Awesome! The oatmeals gives them nice chew and the mesquite flour gives a wonderful (almost chocolatey) flavor. I added walnuts - yum, yum.

useful (0)  


Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen

By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011

19th September 2012

Buttermilk Cake

I liked it, didn't love it. The texture was nice and it was very pretty, but I thought the flavor was lacking. It may be better with some vanilla or almond extract thrown in.

useful (0)  


11th May 2013

Oatcakes

These are very tasty! Reminds me of a British Flapjack, but slightly more cake-like. I agree that a little dried fruit would also be a welcome addition.

useful (0)  


12th May 2013 (edited: 18th May 2014)

Baked Oatmeal

Heidi has been my go to recipe maven lately and we have reveled in the delicious results! This recipe is no exception. I used coconut milk and coconut sugar/crystals, frozen fruit (bananas and blueberries). Topped with homemade almond milk the next day- so good. Will try making it with almonds and almond milk next time.

useful (0)  


13th May 2013

Little Quinoa Patties

I really don't know how to rate these - if someone else was cooking them and I was doing the eating then I would definitely give them an easy 5 stars, but alas, I am the cook, consumer and last but not least, the cleaner! The mess I can make (with quinoa especially??) is ridiculous, so should I knock off a star for trouble? I didn't make it any easier when I decided to split the recipe in half - doing Heidi's version and a cilantro/ jalapeno /cumin version. I didn't have trouble with them falling apart though they are very fragile going into the pan. However, with all sorts of variations knocking around in my brain (spicy harissa, sun dried tomato, black olive) I'm sure I'll be making them again soon.
I baked a couple patties about 30 minutes (flipped after 20) in the oven at 400 on a greased pie plate. These were less brown, a touch less crispy but just as satisfying.

useful (1)  


Sweet

By Valerie Gordon
Artisan - 2013

26th March 2016 (edited: 26th March 2016)

Salted-Peanut Blondies

The salty peanuts play excellently with all that butter and brown sugar. I baked mine exactly 43 minutes and they did not need a minute longer. The top and edges were caramelized and golden brown while the inside was still slightly sticky and sweet. So delicious!

useful (0)  


Sweet & Simple: Dessert for Two

By Christina Lane
Countryman Press - 2017

This review is for the frosting only, which I used with a Lemon cake from the authors other dessert book, Dessert For Two. This frosting was simple to pull together and had great lemon flavor. I did have to add another tablespoon or so of powdered sugar, perhaps since I used a very large and juicy lemon.

useful (0)  


28th August 2018

Perfect Sugar Cookies

I'm more of a vanilla/brown butter kinda girl, I rarely involve chocolate in my desserts. For me, this super simple, "plain Jane", cookie is always welcome. It was soft and chewy with cracked, lightly sugared tops, and tasted of pure vanilla and butter. The recipe does have a small edit needed - in the list of ingredients the author mentions baking soda, but in the directions it calls for incorporating baking powder. I double checked her version of these cookies on her website and it is baking soda needed here. My only other problem was that it only made 8 cookies;(

useful (0)  


Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones: 90 Recipes for Making Your Own Ice Cream and Frozen Treats from Bi-Rite Creamery

By Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker, Dabney Gough
Ten Speed Press - 2012

13th November 2016 (edited: 30th October 2021)

Rodney's Granola

Great granola! This is a buttery, crisp granola with a deep brown sugar flavor (maybe because I used dark brown). It's addictive and clumps up perfectly if you don't stir during cooking. I did add a tablespoons of cinnamon.

useful (0)  


Simple recipe but there is a mistake (in my edition at least). You first caramelize the bananas with brown sugar, then make your custard. The problem is there is no instruction as to when you add the bananas to the base. Common sense told me to add the bananas after the custard is cooked, but before the vanilla/rum. I went with that and the results were great! I added a peanut butter swirl which unfortunately overwhelmed the delicate banana flavor. Next time all banana.

useful (0)  


Sweet Enough: A Dessert Cookbook

By Alison Roman
Clarkson Potter - 2023

3rd February 2024

Toasted Rice Pudding

This was good but not a stand out recipe. Toasting the rice and cinnamon gave it nice flavor for sure but also made the rice break down faster. Not wanting to overcook my rice I took it off while still a tiny bit milky which I don't really mind (and is much better then mushy rice!). I did find it too sweet even though I cut back on the sugar by a few tablespoons.

useful (0)  


The Sweet Melissa Baking Book: Recipes from the Beloved Bakery for Everyone's Favorite Treats

By Melissa Murphy
Studio - 2008

13th February 2012

Pecan Crumble

Made my usual blueberry muffins even tastier!

useful (0)  


31st March 2012 (edited: 12th November 2022)

Carrot Cake with Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

I can't believe I have not reviewed this wonderful recipe! This cake is perfect! I love carrot cake but not a huge fan of the raisin, crushed pineapple affair typically involved. This cake is moist, not overly sweet, with just the right amount of spice. Oh, and the frosting is to die for! This has become my go to celebration cake.
Made this again 6/16
Made this cake the day before using Christina Tosi's method of baking in a quarter sheet pan, cutting 6 inch rounds for a three layer cake - worked great! I divided the work into two days: cook, cool and wrap the cake, leaving overnight at room temp. Next morning I made the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, used Christina's cake soak with a little vanilla, and assembled. Cake hung out in the freezer for about two hours to "set" then moved to the fridge for 2 hours before letting rest on the counter 30 minutes before serving.

useful (0)  


Oh my, this is delicious! The "cake" (we always referred to this type dessert as icebox pie) is stand alone wonderful and does't need the strawberry sauce, in fact I preferred it without. This dessert is also beautiful, and much less complicated than it looks, making it perfect for a BBQ or dinner party. The hitch is you have to let it sit out about 5-10 minutes and then serve fast! I didn't want to serve it straight out of the freezer and I didn't want it to melt on the plate with either. Another hint - it is much easier to store it away (in the freezer) if you don't get fancy with the meringue (Sweet M. just spreads it evenly a top the cake). I made little tufts and curly cues and then had to wrap very carefully as not to squish. I thought I was being so cute, hah! Can be made ahead of course since it lives in the freezer anyway.

useful (0)  


Sweet Sugar, Sultry Spice: Exotic Flavors to Wake Up Your Baking

By Malika Ameen
Roost Books - 2016

6th March 2017 (edited: 6th March 2017)

Four-Spice Ginger Cookies

This is a wonderful cookie full of warm, spices and complex flavors. The author claims the secret ingredient is white pepper but I believe that the double dose of ginger and the cardamom are what really take these over the top. I did not have orange zest but since I know lemon and ginger generally work well together I added the zest of small lemon. These cookies really spread (even after 5-6 hours in the fridge, but I did not mind. These are my new favorite cookie!

useful (0)  


Tacos: Recipes and Provocations

By Alex Stupak, Jordana Rothman, Evan Sung
Clarkson Potter - 2015

12th April 2020 (edited: 12th April 2020)

Nixtamal (Masa for corn tortillas)

There's really only one way to do this but this recipe calls for more of the lime solution than others I have tried. I wanted to see if there was any difference - nope. But as always homemade masa gives you a far superior corn tortilla than masa harina or anything you can buy at the chain grocers. My biggest issue with homemade corn tortillas has been getting them thin enough - I use a press but they still come out a little thick, especially for enchiladas, no fault of the recipe of course.

useful (0)  


Tartine All Day: Modern Recipes for the Home Cook

By Elisabeth Prueitt
Lorena Jones Books - 2017

31st October 2017 (edited: 2nd November 2017)

Fresh Ginger Cookies

Loved these! Crispy edges, chewy center, good spice flavor and the sugar coating gives a nice crunch. I followed this recipe exactly and was afraid the cookies would spread too much since the dough was very soft, even after 1 hour chilling, but they were perfect. These were appreciated by all and no one suspected they were gluten free.

useful (0)  


19th April 2018 (edited: 19th April 2018)

Granola Bark

This is a crisp, not too sweet granola recipe. I love the texture and the fact that it cooks into one big sheet of granola but I think I would prefer a different combo of seeds/nuts. I usually enjoy sesame seeds in my granola and baked goods but didn't think it was great in this. I used hazelnut flour and maple syrup and a combo if coconut chips and shredded.

useful (0)  


This soup is a great canvas for add ins and toppings. It's a tasty soup, garlicy and creamy. But I believe the star here is the pesto. I did not have cress so I made a punchy cilantro pesto with a little chili and lime. Perfect for a cold rainy day.

useful (0)  


Tartine Book No. 3: Modern Ancient Classic Whole

By Chad Robertson
Chronicle Books - 2013

6th August 2016 (edited: 6th April 2018)

Oat Porridge Sourdough

This is a lovely loaf of bread - moist with a tender crumb and a wonderful flavor. I followed the recipe closely, however there are many great tips on theperfectloaf.com. It is very important to incorporate the porridge fully, breaking it up as you turn and fold. I also followed this recipe replacing the porridge with about a cup or so of oven dried tomatoes which came out great.

useful (0)  


18th October 2020

Brown Rice Porridge Bread

I used this recipe, replacing brown rice with cooked farro, to make a wholesome bread with a crisp crust, airy crumb and good chew. This one didn't rise as much as I would have liked but the taste and texture was terrific. I did allow these an overnight rise in their baskets.

useful (0)