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Dec 30, 2015

Your Top 10 Favorite Recipes for 2015

Thank you to everyone who visited this little food space this year. Truly, thank you so much. It means a lot to me that you drop by and check out what's going on over here. Of the 160 posts this year, these were the ones that, you, my favorite readers, visited the most. Here are the top 10 favorite recipes of 2015, plus two posts that don't include recipes.

Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories


10. Classic New York Water Bagels

Diastatic malt powder, the history of bagels, and a bagel shaping lesson... all covered in this post! Plus some of the best bagels I've ever eaten. 

Classic New York Water Bagels: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

Bonus Post Number 1: Noodle Soup with Stir-Fried Scallops and Enoki Mushrooms

This is an amazing soup with ginger in the chicken broth. This is from my participation in Wok Wednesdays, where we are cooking our way through Grace Young's amazing book, Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge. Actually, there are just two of us bloggers left, but we are mighty, and we've agreed not to post the exact recipe. Still, you visited this post! 

Noodle Soup with Stir Fried Scallops and Enoki Mushrooms: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

9. Garlic and Vegetable Cheese Spread

This one kind of surprised me. I made this to go with these Cheddar Cheese Crackers with some ingredients I had on hand (don't you love it when it works?) but wasn't particularly happy with the photos. I posted it anyway, and, of all things, it took off on Pinterest! Goes to show you that folks just like good food. Thank you for that. 

Garlic and Vegetable Cheese Spread: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

8. English Muffin Bread

True confession time.... when I posted this bread, I had no idea I had actually posted this exact recipe nearly 2 1/2 years ago. Doh! I discovered it when I added this post to my Recipe Index. I even talk about how I've never posted this recipe before. 

I'm glad I posted it again. I'm pretty sure it's my cousin's gorgeous homemade jam from home grown berries that made the difference! 

English Muffin Bread: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

7. Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls

I'm pretty excited about these rolls, and so were you. Bread using a tangzhong has always fascinated me because of the soft, fluffy bread it produces. This recipe was shared with me by my friend Dave from across the pond, and I'm so glad you liked these. 

P.S. I just got my Jan/Feb 2016 copy of Cook's Illustrated, and guess what they featured? Tangzhong dinner rolls! 

Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

6. Asian Style Halibut en Papillote

I love fish, and this halibut prepared in parchment paper was one of my favorite recipes of 2015. It's pretty foolproof, flavorful, and very healthy. I used some amazing Alaskan halibut too. This one is perfect for company. 

Asian Style Halibut en Papillote: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

5. Oven Fried Onion Rings

These things are ridiculous. They are coated in a bag of Kettle potato chips. That's all I need to say. 

Oven Fried Onion Rings: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

4. Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I made this ice cream for my oldest grandson's birthday at his request. I'm so happy you liked it too. 

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories


Bonus Post Number 2: Chinese Indian Chicken Manchurian

This is another Wok Wednesday post without the actual recipe. This one took off on StumbleUpon for some reason. Maybe it's because I captured steam in the photograph!

Chinese Indian Chicken Manchurian: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

3. Pork Spring Rolls with Spicy Plum Dipping Sauce

The pork in these spring rolls is prepared in the slow cooker! These are so fresh and flavorful, and the dipping sauce is fabulous. They make an amazing appetizer or light dinner. 

Pork Spring Rolls: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

2. Hawaiian Style Sweet Rolls

These are delicious, fluffy, and include pineapple juice in the recipe. They are reminiscent of the Portuguese style breads first introduced to Hawaii in the 19th century by Portuguese immigrants. 

Hawaiian Style Sweet Rolls: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

1. Pecan Praline Coconut Shortbread Bars

This was my most visited post for 2015. I got a little boost from Yummly on these, when they featured them in a newsletter. Have you heard of Yummly? It's an amazing site to explore and collect (or "yum") recipes from around the web. They even give you the ingredient list and nutrition information for each recipe. All you need to do is "Yum" a food recipe post, and it will end up in your Recipe Box. It's pretty cool. Here's my page!

Here's to a flavorful 2016! 

Pecan Praline Coconut Shortbread Bars: Top Ten Reader Favorites for Karen's Kitchen Stories

I'd also like to share Countdown to 2016, hosted by my friend Sarah, from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes. Here are her top posts! At the bottom of this post, find some new recipes from other participants to try in the new year. 





Would you like to comment?

  1. You are the bread queen Karen but the recipe that caught my eye are those crispy lovely onion rings

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  2. How funny, I just read my friends issue of Cooks Illustrated and we talked about the Tangzhong method of making bread, and I forgot to make a copy of the recipe before I returned the issue, but now I don't have to sweat it, I can use yours.

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    1. How serendipitous!! If you like it, I have some other tangzhong recipes here too, including whole wheat.

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  3. I KNEW that the English muffin bread would make it to the list! I wanted so bad to make it for the Secret Recipe, then almost made it this past weekend, but as you know, I picked your rillettes and then made a sourdough to go with it for my friends....

    Happy New Year, dearest Karen!

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    1. The salmon rillettes is pretty special Sally. I would have picked that, especially since your beloved loves salmon! The English muffin bread is incredibly easy and is perfect for last minute. Happy New Year to you. xoxo.

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  4. Your pictures are always so stunning! It made it so hard to choose a recipe when I was assigned your blog for SRC. I have to say...I agree with Wendy - those onion rings look too good to be true. KETTLE CHIPS!!

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    1. Ridiculous, right? Lol!! Thanks so much for the sweet encouragement. xoxo

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  5. Checking out those bagels - stat! They look amazing!

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  6. I always love reading your posts Karen, but the bread ones are my favorites. Those Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls make me crazy they are so wonderfully appetizing! Of course, the bagels looks pretty great too, as does the English muffin bread. See, it's like asking which is the favorite child :) Happy new year.

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    1. Thanks so much Laura! It's pretty hard to choose!

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  7. Ooh, I might have to try my hand at those Hawaiian rolls - they would be perfect for ham and cheese sliders! The onion rings look fabulous too!

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