Top Ten Readers' Favorite Recipes from 2017 | Countdown to 2018

Here are your Top Ten Favorite Recipes from 2017!

It's always fun to look back over the last year to see which recipes resonated with you. I posted 152 recipes in 2017 (phew!), and, in order of popularity, these were your favorites.

Thyme and Apple Cider Pisco Sour

This Thyme and Apple Cider Pisco Sour is a wonderful celebration cocktail.

This apple cider Pisco sour is a wonderful winter cocktail. If you like whiskey sours or side car cocktails, you'll enjoy this one with thyme simple syrup, Pisco, fresh lemon juice, and boiled apple cider.

Shallot and Gruyère Cheese Muffins

These Shallot and Gruyère Cheese Muffins are a wonderful savory treat to serve with soup, a roast beef or steak dinner, or with a salad.

These muffins are loaded with sautéed shallots and lots of melty gruyère cheese. With a thick, cheesy batter, these are almost biscuit-like in texture.

Eggnog Waffles

These eggnog waffles are wonderful for Sunday breakfast or brunch. And if it makes you feel any better about enjoying the rich deliciousness of eggnog in these waffles, they are made with white whole wheat flour.

You can make a pile of these eggnog waffles and keep them warm in the oven to serve a crowd. You can also make them and freeze them, and then have homemade waffles ready for the toaster in the morning. And to spread out the anticipation even more, you can also make the batter up to a day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator.

Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

These Noche Buena Chocolate Sandwich Cookies include the flavors of chocolate, coffee liqueur, cayenne pepper. and dulce de leche.

Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with dulce de leche are rich, spicy, and deeply flavored with Dutch processed cocoa. The addition of a small amount of cayenne pepper adds a subtle warmth to the cookies.

Champagne Babas

Babas are little yeasted pastries that resemble little chef's hats.

Babas are made with a dough enriched with butter and eggs, and then soaked in a boozy syrup (usually rum) and then topped with an apricot jam glaze.

Turkey Noodle Soup from Scratch

This turkey noodle soup from scratch is pure comfort food. Any time we roast a turkey, especially around the holidays, we save the carcass to make the broth for this turkey soup.

Making homemade turkey soup after Thanksgiving or Christmas is probably the biggest food tradition that Mr. Kitchen and I share. He is a big fan of soup of any kind, so, years ago, when someone told him that you could make homemade turkey soup from the leftover carcass, he decided to take on making turkey soup from scratch.

Vietnamese-Style Pan Fried Halibut with Lemongrass and Nước Chấm Dipping Sauce

This Vietnamese-style pan fried halibut with lemongrass is so fresh and flavorful, and the lemongrass adds such a wonderful citrusy fragrance to the dish.

This pan fried halibut with lemongrass is an adaptation of a fish dish common in Vietnamese cooking, called Cá Chiên Xã. You can use any firm fish, such as mackerel, sea bass, cod, rockfish, or catfish. I just happened to have a gorgeous Alaskan halibut filet that worked beautifully with this recipe.

Whole Wheat Santa Lucia Buns

These Santa Lucia Buns are a whole wheat version of a traditional Swedish holiday bread.

This time last year, I posted a wonderful traditional Santa Lucia buns recipe, which included saffron, currants, and Swedish pearl sugar. Be sure to visit the post to find out more about the holiday.

Chocolate Mint Torte

This Chocolate Mint Torte recipe takes a tasty chocolate sponge cake and fills it with a delicious mint cream mousse and layers of chocolate ganache.

Making this chocolate mint torte was definitely an exercise in flexing new baking muscles for me.

Fried Sausages and Apples from The Hamilton Cookbook

 These Fried Sausages and Apples are from the well-researched book The Hamilton Cookbook by my friend Laura Kumin of the blog, Mother Would Know.

When Laura asked if I would be willing to review her new book, I jumped at the chance.

Almond-Spice Christmas Wreath Cookies

These Almond-Spice Christmas Wreath Cookies are pretty easy to make, even if they do look fancy.

These almond-spice Christmas wreath cookies would be great to make with kids who are interested in baking. You'd just need to have double the amount of maraschino cherries on hand so they could sneak a few during the decorating phase.

Eggnog Cheesecake

This Eggnog Cheesecake is the smoothest and creamiest cheesecake I've ever eaten. It's dense, moist, rich, and delicious.

This eggnog cheesecake recipe is a tasty way to use up leftover eggnog, although, after trying this cheesecake, you may just find yourself buying or making eggnog just to bake this cheesecake.

Foolproof Holiday Cookies

These Foolproof Holiday Cookies are perfect for decorating for Christmas, birthdays, or any occasion!

I love that these Foolproof Holiday Cookies are so easy to cut and bake, yet they taste delicious. They can be decorated with just a glaze and some sprinkles, or you can go all fancy with royal icing.

Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

These Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies are totally fun to make, and they are so "pepperminty!"

These peppermint candy cane cookies are flavored with both peppermint and vanilla extracts, which give them a wonderful flavor and aroma.

Apple Streusel Muffins

These apple streusel muffins are wonderful with your morning coffee.

These apple streusel muffins are loaded with chunks of tart apples, topped with a brown sugar and cinnamon streusel, and then drizzled with a vanilla glaze.

Cranberry Crumble Bars

These Cranberry Crumble Bars are an easy dessert to serve for Thanksgiving and Christmas... or anytime.

These cranberry crumble bars are reminiscent of the flavors of Linzer cookies, the jam-filled sandwich cookie made with both wheat and almond flours.

Provençal Vegetable Soup with Pistou (Soupe au Pistou)

This Provençal Vegetable Soup is so hearty.

Provençal vegetable soup is from Provence, in the south of France. It's typically made with white beans, green beans, onions, leeks, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, and pasta. Cooks also add other fresh vegetables such as yellow squash, tomatoes, peas, and corn from the weekly markets throughout the region.

Shrimp Stuffed Cuban Potato Balls

These Shrimp Stuffed Cuban Potato Balls are hot, crispy, and filled with a delicious shrimp ragout.

These shrimp stuffed Cuban potato balls are inspired by the potato balls served by Porto's, a Southern California family run Cuban bakery with a serious cult following. Their pastries are gorgeous and delicious, but their potato balls/papas rellenas, filled with picadillo, are in a class of their own. Here is my version.

No Knead English Muffins

These English muffins are soft and airy on the inside and crisp and crusty on the outside. When split with a fork, they are loaded with "nooks and crannies."

These English muffins are "baked" on a griddle rather than in the oven, and the dough is one-third whole wheat flour, which gives them a slightly sweet hearty flavor.

Orange Chicken {copycat Panda Express}

This Orange Chicken recipe is different from any other I've tried, and it's really delicious.

I've been on a quest to find an orange chicken recipe that tops the one from the chain with the little panda. I'm a little obsessed with orange chicken because, if you ask my oldest grandson what is all time favorite food is, he will tell you that it is orange chicken, and I have been on a quest to find the recipe that beats his favorite take-out version.

Pull-Apart Dill Bread

You will love the flavor of this pull-apart dill bread.

With a 2/3 cup of chopped dill per loaf, this bread is loaded with dill flavor.

Blackberry Pie

I am so thrilled with this blackberry pie! Blackberries make such a gorgeous pie filling and they don't need a lot of extra sugar. Plus, I made a pie!!

I made a pie! I am so giddy about this blackberry pie. It's so fresh and fruity, you could almost justify having a slice for breakfast.

Rosemary Parmesan Crackers

These Rosemary Parmesan Crackers are so thin and crispy, and full of flavor. They are perfect for hostess gifts during the holidays, if you can bring yourself to give them away.

These Rosemary Parmesan Crackers are really hard to put down once you get started. This recipe makes about 4 dozen crackers, and I'm pretty sure I ate about half of them.

Slow Cooker Classic Bread Stuffing

Classic Bread Stuffing made in the slow cooker is a great way to free up your oven while making Thanksgiving dinner.

This slow cooker classic bread stuffing is my all time favorite Thanksgiving side dish, right in front of mashed potatoes.

Sourdough Barley Bread with Figs and Pecans

I'm really excited about this Sourdough Barley Bread with Figs and Pecans. The sweet, nutty flavor of the barley flour adds a wonderful dimension to this fig and toasted pecan filled bread.

This sourdough barley bread with figs and pecans has a wonderful soft and airy crumb. The bread is filled with chunks of dried figs and toasted pecans, and has a very mild sourdough tang. I'm thrilled with how it came out.

Blueberry Muffin Tops with a Cheesecake Drizzle

The feedback I've received on these blueberry muffin tops is universal. "These were amazing!" "These were delicious!" "How did you do this?" "Can I have the recipe?"

These blueberry muffin tops are from a recipe from a new book by Lisa Huff from the blog, Snappy Gourmet.

Potato and Leek Pizza

This potato and leek pizza reminds me of the crusty top of a scalloped potato casserole placed on a thin crispy pizza crust.

This potato and leek pizza starts with an easy no knead crust. I mixed the dough around eight o'clock at night, and made the pizzas around noon the next day. It's a totally flexible dough. Once your dough has risen, you can shape it into rounds, wrap it, and refrigerate it for up to three days.

Zucchini Brownies

These zucchini brownies are so dense and chocolatey, and pretty much hide the fact that there are veggies in there.

These fudge-like brownies include a zucchini puree, along with Dutch process cocoa, espresso powder, and bittersweet chocolate chips.

Pea Soup Andersen's Split Pea Soup {Copycat}

This Copycat Pea Soup Andersen's Split Pea Soup is both filling and nutritious.

This month, the members of our little Soup Saturday group were charged with posting soup recipes that represent our state or region. I'm sure this is easier for folks from any place but California.

Crab Macaroni and Cheese

This crab macaroni and cheese recipe takes a favorite comfort food and turns it into a fabulous elegant meal.

Make this crab macaroni and cheese for dinner, and all you'd need is a green salad to go with it for a complete meal.

Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes

These Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes are so light, tender, and not overly sweet. They would even be appropriate for breakfast topped with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

They are excellent with coffee or a cold glass of milk.

I topped these chocolate yogurt snack cakes with some sifted powdered sugar, which I think made them really pretty.

Vietnamese-Style Shrimp Cocktail

This Vietnamese-Style Shrimp Cocktail is so fresh and spicy.

This Vietnamese-style shrimp cocktail is easy to put together, and it's wonderful as an appetizer or first course for a dinner party. I love how it's loaded with fresh vegetables.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with White Chocolate Cappuccino Ganache

These Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with White Chocolate Cappuccino Ganache filling are both crisp and tender, and very chocolatey.

There is something about the combination of chocolate and coffee together that enhances the flavor of both.

I used natural cocoa for these cookies, rather than Dutch process, but you could use either. Be sure to use good quality white chocolate for the ganache. If you want to add more coffee flavor, you could add some espresso powder to the cookie dough as well.

Pumpkin Cornmeal and Rye Pull-Apart Rolls

These Pumpkin Cornmeal and Rye Pull-Apart Rolls are moist, mildly sweet, and absolutely perfect for dinner rolls, sliders, and however else you like to enjoy good bread.

While these Pumpkin Cornmeal and Rye Pull-Apart Rolls are brightly colored from the pumpkin puree, they really don't actually taste like pumpkin. The biggest role that the pumpkin plays is to add an amazing long lasting moistness to these rolls.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies combine the flavors of cocoa and peanut butter in a delicious cookie, and then double-down with the most amazing peanut butter chips.

Everyone who tried one of these chocolate peanut butter chip cookies went pretty crazy over them. I took a few to work, and they quickly disappeared, and they got four thumbs up from my two grandsons (two thumbs per kid). 

Walnut Levain Bread

This Walnut Levain Bread is such a pleasure to make, and even more fun to eat. The crust is chewy, and the crumb is soft and airy, plus it's loaded with toasted walnuts.

This Walnut Levain Bread makes the absolute best toast. I also love it broiled with melty cheese or spread with goat cheese and fig jam.

Slow Cooker Korean-Style Beef Tacos

These Slow Cooker Korean-Style Beef Tacos are so so meaty and flavorful. They are filled with spicy slow cooked flank steak, as well as a fresh cucumber and carrot slaw.

I could not stop eating these Slow Cooker Korean-Style Beef Tacos. The beef is marinated overnight in soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, and chili flakes. It is then braised in the marinade in the slow cooker for 8 hours.

Spicy Pigs in a Blanket

These Spicy Pigs in a Blanket take me back to the days when I was first learning to cook. (It's also a great recipe for game day, and they are ridiculously easy to make.)

I decided to make these spicy Pigs in a Blanket to honor the old community cookbooks that, at one point, were the only cookbooks I owned besides my well worn copy of Joy of Cooking (I won't tell you which edition it was, because it makes me feel really old, and I like to keep up appearances).

Spinach and Olive Focaccia

This spinach and olive focaccia is the perfect savory bread to serve with a salad for lunch, and it's an excellent light bread to serve with dinner.

One of the things that I love about this Spinach and Olive Focaccia is that it does not skimp on the spinach. In fact, you may actually get a full serving of spinach with a couple of slices of this bread.

This Spinach and Olive Focaccia begins with a no-knead stretch-and-fold dough.

Sourdough Date Nut Cranberry Muffins

These Sourdough Date Nut Cranberry Muffins combine the tang of sourdough with the sweetness of dates. Then there are the tart cranberries adding an additional flavor dimension. So good.

I keep a sourdough starter in my refrigerator, which I feed regularly to keep it alive and ready to leaven bread. I've had this starter for at least seven years. That means there have been a lot of "feedings."

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

These Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons are moist and chewy and so easy to make.

Coconut Macaroons, not to be confused with French macarons, are a mixture of shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and egg whites.

Swiss Rye Ring | Brasciadela

This Swiss Rye Ring is based on a bread from the Graubünden canton in Switzerland. It has the tang of sourdough with the combined flavors of rye and wheat. It is delicious with smoked fish and cured meats.

The dough calls for a combination of white rye and medium rye to simulate a Swiss rye called Type 1150 that is not available here.

Smoky Black Bean Soup

This Smoky Black Bean Soup is perfect for a busy weeknight meal. Pair it with a salad, and you have dinner for two.

The recipe for this black bean soup generously serves two, but it can easily be doubled or tripled to feed an entire family.

Spicy Grilled Rockfish with Garlic and Basil Butter

This spicy grilled rockfish is filled with the flavors of cayenne, garlic, and basil. This dish is so easy to make, and the sauce brings out the delicious flavor of the fish without overwhelming it. 

This spicy grilled rockfish with garlic and basil butter blew me away.

My cousin goes on an annual fishing trip to Alaska and brings back tons of glorious fish that is flash frozen on the docks and sent home. He is so generous in sharing it with our family.

Auvergne Crown | Couronne Auvergnate

The Auvergne Crown, or Couronne Auvergnate, is a classic bread from France. You can find these couronnes in boulangeries (bread bakeries) throughout most of the country. The loaves are deeply browned and crusty, and the crumb is exceptionally flavorful with lots of uneven holes.

There are actually bannetons (rising baskets) made expressly for theses loaves. While I love collecting bread baking toys, I do not have one of these, so I rigged up a large round deep dish pizza pan with a small inverted bowl in the center, and I lined the contraption with floured tea towels.

Kaiser Rolls

These Kaiser Rolls are the perfect vehicle for deli-style sandwiches that are stuffed with meats, such as pastrami or roast beef. They are also wonderful for hamburger buns.

Kaiser rolls are a classic roll originally from Austria. The top is divided into five sections, sort of like the petals of a flower.

Pizza with a Sourdough Crust

This sourdough pizza crust is perfect for using any extra sourdough you may normally discard when refreshing your starter. The dough works for both thin crust and thick crust pizza, and you can use any toppings you like.

The dough for this sourdough pizza crust includes one cup of starter. Because this is a "mixed method" dough (meaning: you also add a bit of yeast to the dough), your starter can either be freshly fed or little-used.

Pasta Carbonara Torte

This Pasta Carbonara Torte with Tomatoes and Sage is unapologetically rich. To illustrate, the noodles are tossed in freshly fried bacon, some of the bacon fat, along with three kinds of rich and delicious cheese.

This Pasta Carbonara Torte, as its name implies, takes what is a traditional spaghetti dish, and turns it into a pasta you can slice and serve.

Bacon and Gruyère Muffins

These Bacon and Gruyère Muffins are loaded with chunks of melty cheese and are so easy to prepare in less than two hours. Even better, if you fry the bacon and dice the Gruyère the day before, you can make these muffins in less than an hour. You will look like a baking genius.

If I had to pick just one cheese to bake with, it would be Gruyère cheese. Even though it is an aged cheese with a firm and slightly grainy texture, it melts perfectly. It has a mild, sweet, and nutty taste.

To bring out the melty goodness of the Gruyère, I cut it into a small dice rather than grate it to better achieve little pockets of melty cheese.

Triple Oatmeal Cookies

These Triple Oatmeal Cookies are loaded with three kinds of oats, along with dried blueberries.

It's been a long time since I've made oatmeal cookies. Too long! I used to have a recipe for an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that assuaged some of the guilt of giving my kids cookies because they contained oats. Sadly, somewhere along the way, my first recipe box, with the few recipes I ever mastered as a young mom such as my mom's meatloaf, my friend's Chinese chicken salad, and a pretty tasty tuna dip that another friend served at her Tupperware parties, disappeared.

El Pollo Loco Chicken Tortilla Soup (Copycat)

This El Pollo Loco Chicken Tortilla Soup is an amazing meal in a bowl.

I love, love, love chicken tortilla soup. It's loaded with shredded chicken and pico de gallo, and is topped with crispy tortilla strips.

Smoked Trout Cakes

These Smoked Trout Cakes are so rich tasting, with so many interesting flavor elements.

The ingredients for these smoked trout cakes include sour cream, whole grain mustard, red bell pepper, chives, and capers. Instead of bread crumbs, they are coated with potato flakes....  "Gluten free....." Those words don't often fall out of my lips.