BEST RECIPES OF 2011

Here’s a recap of last year’s best recipes. 

January:  Scott Peacock’s Ideal Pecan Rolls have outstanding texture and flavor.

Uber-decadent  Biltmore House Restaurant Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie is a special, worth-the-trouble dessert that will bring plenty of raves.



February:  Chocolate Cream Pie with Orange Mascarpone Cream Topping won more than just my heart.  It was runner up in Emile Henry’s How Pretty is My Pie contest.



March:  Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Heath Bits cookies, have crispy edges, chewy centers and layers of luscious flavors. 


April:  Gajar Halwa (Indian Carrot Pudding) is  my Indian doctor’s favorite dessert from childhood.  I made it for him several times last year.  He says I make it better than his grandmother.  I call it carrot cake without the cake.  It’s amazingly comforting and so addictive.


Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Almond Crust is super rich, super creamy and super delicious with pure vanilla flavor.  Enough said.



May:  Vanilla-Rich White Chocolate Chunk Coconut Pecan cookies are everything a white chocolate chunk cookie should be.


June:  What a good month!  5 recipes with 10 out of 10 ratings.  First was Beet Green Spanokopita, mouthwatering appetizers made with fillo dough, beet greens (or spinach) and Feta cheese.


Coffee-Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Espresso Grilling Sauce,
Italian Style Artichokes,
Orange-Chocolate Chip-Pecan Muffins and
The New All-American Potato Salad were the other winners. 


July:  Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding was the lone standout for the month and had me dreaming about it for months afterward. 


August:  Another good month, with three recipes getting my top grade, and several others close behind.  Grilled Chicken with Spicy Balsamic Cherry Glaze was my favorite.
Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie provides a nice change for starting the day.
With only five ingredients, Crabcakes at the Conroys have become our #1 favorite crabcake recipe.


September:  Grilled Honey-Teriyaki Chicken Wings are sweet and hot and absolutely delicious.
Carrot Cake with Creamy Supreme Frosting, an older recipe from Pillsbury, was a little different from the other carrot cakes I’ve made and a surprise hit.


October:  Caramelized Onion Winter Squash Mash was the first of six recipes to receive the coveted 10 out of 10 rating for the month.
Chocolate Almond Cream Pie,
Flounder with Lemon Caper Sauce,
Ultra-Crispy, Chewy, White Chocolate Chunk and Pecan Cookies,
Double Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and
Banana Chocolate Cupcakes were the other top-rated recipes.

November:  Better Homes and Gardens Pumpkin Soup is simple and satisfying and one that I’ll make again and again.

Flaky All-Butter Pie Crust with Nonfat Greek Yogurt is incredibly flavorful, flaky and tender, and definitely the best pie crust I’ve made ever.
Apple Almond Gallette and
Pillsbury’s Swedish Tea Cakes were the other top recipes.

December:  Asian-Inspired Fillet of Fish in Parchment is super easy, moist and so flavorful with veggies and seasonings that cook right along with the fish, making a complete meal in a packet.

Nutella Mascarpone Cheesecake with Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust is one of my all-time favorite cheesecakes.  Firm, smooth, rich and delicious, just as a New York-style cheesecake should be.

Thanks to all who have visited my blog this past year, and to all who have left comments.  Please enjoy these recipes.  If you make any of them I would love to hear about them.