Francie S

My niece was hosting Thanksgiving dinner and she asked me to bring sweet potatoes. It was my first time making sweet potatoes of any kind. I read the reviews about it being sweet, but decided to take my chances and follow the recipe. I had GIANT sweet potatoes so had to bake them longer. I also wanted them a bit more creamy so I doubled the heavy cream. These were a huge hit. My mother in law made a point to come up to me and tell me how delicious they were. There was a little bit left over so the next morning I made sweet potato patties and fried them. No need for syrup. I will be making this again!!!

I followed this recipe exactly with one exception. I beat the ingredients on 3 because my speed 2 does not work on my hand mixer. I used a metal bowl and mixed until my butter and sugar were almost white. I beat the eggs for the full 5 minutes each. Because I like to put things away as I go, I also added the vanilla to the chocolate before it was completely cooled and it bubbled and made the chocolate thicken up. (not sure I would do this again, but it didn't seem to matter) I am making chocolate cream puffs with this instead of a pie. From the amount of filling I have, I can't imagine that this would not be more than enough for a 9 inch pan. Most mistakes that are made with baking are not taking the time to beat things as long as the recipe states or not doing things in the correct order.

I have made cream puffs for years and used a recipe just like this. I use a smaller amount of dough for each puff and it makes 24-25. I bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes then let cool completely. I decided to try pumpkin this year and I bought the Libby's pumpkin pie mix in the can with the spices and sweetness already added. I mixed 1 1/2C pumpkin pie puree with 6oz. of cream cheese. In a separate bowl, I whipped the heavy whipping cream with 1T. of vanilla and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until stiff peaks formed. Then I folded the pumpkin/cream cheese into the whipped cream. Then I filled the puff pastry. I also put a dab of the filling on the top of the puffed pastry with a roasted pecan piece.

I followed Scott d BBQ man's advice from May 10, 2010 by cutting down the corn starch and rendering the egg yolks. I decided that the butter would melt better if I added it before the lemon juice. It took some time to thicken up, so I think the people who had trouble with this recipe did not stir long enough. After I made this, I let it cool and then covered it and put in the refridgerator over night. In the morning I whipped some heavy whipping cream with sugar and vanilla. After stiff peaks formed, I folded the lemon custard into it. I then stuffed puffed pastry with the lemon infused whipped cream and strawberries. WOW.. What a wonderful treat. My husband and the girls at work loved this!!!

This recipe was fabulous. I used sockeye salmon and I added a shot of tequila and cilantro to the marinade. I served it with a cold orzo salad with feta cheese, spinach, red onion and balsamic vinegar. I will be making this often