Kestrel's Reviews
9 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 9Sort by: Title 
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Website: Smitten Kitchen
This is a snap to make and can be very good, depending on the chocolate used and the amount of sugar. Be sure to read the notes that precede the recipe. For me, semi sweet chocolate and 1/2 cup sugar is just a bit too sweet, although the kids liked it. Grated orange zest is a nice addition. I found the instructions accurate as to timing. Serving size is huge; a half recipe gives 6 small servings, which is fine since it's pretty rich with all that chocolate. A definite repeat.
useful (1)
These were super easy to make and were very good. I browned the butter and added 3/4 cup of chocolate chips which seemed like enough to me. I also made gluten free using 1 to 1 flour and some sorghum and rice flour (I ran out of the 1 to 1 and made up the rest with the other flours.). Baked at 350 fan for 22 minutes in 8 inch pan. Very rich and sweet (almost like candy) so I cut them a bit smaller. They freeze well.
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This is more of a bread than a cake as it's not too sweet. Mine rose well, tasted good, and had a nice texture. The spices could probably be increased although I'd keep the cinnamon the same. Very easy to make and uses pantry staples that I always have on hand. Definitely will make again. Took 60 minutes at 350 convection.
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I made these in my new instant pot (meat setting 5 minutes pressure then 10 minute natural release) as suggested in one of the comments. I found these to be fine and very easy to make, however the flavour was a bit bland. The next day they tasted better. I might make again and would try sautéing the meatballs first. In the IP they took only about 25 minutes after chilling. Second time around I garnished with some grated cheese, avocado, and arugula and that improved things.
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I also love this recipe. It's convenient since it uses no dairy products (helpful if you've run out of them). I use olive oil for the butter and switch the add-ins depending on what I have, and I also use the lower amount of sugar. It freezes well.
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A good solid recipe for a savoury tart. Used tomatoes, garlic, and herbs from my garden and a mix of cheeses I had left over. I didn’t have the basil and parsley called for so I made an arugula pesto and that worked just fine. The pastry was crisp and flaky. This would make a good vegetarian company dish. I made a smaller tart and it took 45 minutes to bake.
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As noted by the other reviewers, this loaf is excellent. When I first made it, I used cherries, rhubarb and toasted almonds instead of the strawberries, rhubarb and pecans; otherwise I followed the loaf ingredients as written. This combination remains my favorite. I now use frozen cherries if I have to, and increase the fruit content a little. Green apples make a good sub for the rhubarb when it's out of season. I use cinnamon sugar or coarse sugar for the topping instead of the butter topping in the recipe. I like that this loaf is not too sweet, can be made with oil instead of butter, and uses a bit of whole wheat flour.
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I made a half recipe to take to a group function. Mine rose a lot and wasn't all that attractive; It would probably look better if made in the pan called for; I think it needs the surface area to place the berries. Tasted nice though and very easy. Not sure if I'd make this again.
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This recipe is easy but I found it labour intensive. After oven-roasting vegetables, cooking grains, grating cheese, and sautéing onions and garlic, it then comes together quickly and is baked in the oven. If I make this again I would make some of the components ahead. I subbed quinoa for the rice and used a mixture of good quality cheddar and smoked mozzarella as the cheese and also increased the cheese somewhat. I found this was a nice way to eat zucchini and it had a very mild flavour that probably most people would enjoy. Could be eaten as a brunch, lunch, or dinner dish. While this recipe was fine, I probably won't make again.
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