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The official '1,000 Vegan Recipes' review thread (to be updated)!

Appetizers and Snacks
Snacks
agave glazed pecans
Absolutely delicious with the maple syrup (variation suggest by Robin). Like a dessert! (gathdurwin)
asian fusion party mix

black sesame wonton chips

curried cashews
I love it! Curry and cashews are a very good combination. Very useful when you receive many people. (gathdurwin)
edamame with coarse salt

fiery pumpkin seeds
These are good, but don't really taste that different from other flavored nuts/seeds I've toasted! No matter the flavoring, they all taste pretty similar. I used red devil for the hot sauce (much more than listed), and mine did not come out fiery, but they are tasty. I used a combo of sunflower and pumpkin seeds. (AC)
five spiced walnuts
These are good. I'm not very familiar with five spice powder, but the overall flavor is pretty strong. It almost tastes a little bacony. I think I would cut down a bit on the liquid, because they need less time in the oven. All the liquid needs to be baked in, but the walnuts get a bit too done. A tasty (but strong) snack. (AC)
flower power granola squares
just might be the most delicious thing I have ever put in my mouth!!  The only changes I made were to use old-fashioned oats (instead of instant) and carob chips (instead of chocolate). The only negative I can see is that mine absolutely crumbled apart and did not stay in bar form. But who cares - I just crumbled it into a bowl and ate...and ate...and ate...and have now eaten almost half the pan myself. I actually really love the carob with this and think it may be even better than chocolate! This is soooo insanely delicious!! This is a great snack and would be great as a breakfast granola too. (lebkuchen)
tastes great but very crumbly (thirteenblackbirds)
jerk spiced soy jerky

personalized trail mix

ragin' cajun popcorn
I made this with a few modifications. I use an air popper, so I just mixed my spices in with some oil, and mixed that with the popped corn. I made some changes with the spices based on what I had, but kept it similar. I liked using different spices than usual, and it was tasty. (AC)
this is seasoned well and we liked it, but I've decided I'm old fashioned and like regular popcorn (salty and buttery). (thirteenblackbirds)
roasted chickpeas

sesame pita chips

tortilla chips
I actually made chips like this the night before I looked at the recipe (coincidentally), but I made them again today following the recipe. Love them like this! So easy, and healthier. The texture is good. (AC)
Dips and Spreads
baba ghanoush
a very good recipe.  my eggplant wasn't very big though, and as a result i think it turned out to have a bit too much tahini (1/4 cup) - so next time i will be more careful about adding the tahini gradually.  (thirteenblackbirds)
didn't like it at first, so I added a can of chickpeas and some more spices and refrigerated until the next day and then it had a MUCH better flavor. (stacydan)
back to basics hummus
I usually make my own hummus recipe/method, but wanted to try this one. It's good! I forgot to add the oil, but it's not really necessary. It's a bit thicker than my normal, but it's a nice change. I did add a splash of soy sauce, and the necessary cumin. A good, basic hummus. I used the 4 cloves of garlic. (AC)
black and green olive tapenade
This is so inferior to her recipe in Party Vegan. This one doesn't have any garlic, and has too many capers and olives. It's too strong tasting, and too salty with all the briny stuff. Not impressed. She recommends kalamata and green, so that's what I used. (AC)
black bean and sun dried tomato dip
delicious.  i would say the flavors are on the mild/subtle side, but they meld together perfectly.(thirteenblackbirds)
creamy spinach tahini dip
This was pretty boring. I used part thawed frozen spinach and the rest lightly steamed. I only used 2 tablespoons tahini instead of 1/3 cup, and that was plenty. The flavor is just meh. The color is really pretty, though. Wouldn't make this again. (AC)
cucumber and green olive dip

eggplant walnut spread
Just so good! It's the better spread I ever taste! Make it many many times and it's always a winner! (gathdurwin)
four seed bread spread

golden sunshine roasted veg spread

green green guacamole

layered bean dip

lemony edamame dip

mylie's secret queso dip

roasted red pepper hummus
This is not really a hummus to me. It has garlic and chickpeas..but no tahini. That aside, it's a pretty good dip. Something about it was weird to me, but I dunno what. P liked it. Since there's no binder type thing (like tahini) it has a bit of an odd consistency. It's ok. It might be good to have if serving a bunch of dips. Easy. (AC)
salsa and pinto bean spread
This was good, simple, and fast, but mine came out more like a "dip" than a "spread." I used jarred salsa, so maybe if I made my own I could make a thicker salsa. Or just use a half cup of salsa instead of a whole cup. I sliced some corn tortillas and baked them into chips to go with, and it made a great snack. (tmarkeim)
sassy spinach dip with roasted garlic

smoky chipotle pinto hummus
This is so easy to throw together since it just needs to be run through the food processor. The taste is awesome too! It disappeared pretty damn fast. (intheend)
very good but I would tweak it next time by blending in some yellow onion and adding more spices. (thirteenblackbirds)
smooth and savory mushroom pate
Loved the flavor, but it's ugly. I brought it to a party and I think everyone thought it was old guacamole! (motomom)
This is really good! My first so called "pate" (it's just a spread..). The flavor is great, and the texture is nice with the nuts. I used a bouquet garni with savory, instead of just savory, and used part slivered almonds for the cashews. This reminds me of a nonvegan mushroom turnover recipe I made for our wedding. This was our favorite of the dips, and I'd make it again. (AC)
sushi inspired edamame avocado dip

tempeh pimiento cheeze ball

three bean dip

white bean and artichoke spread

white bean and dill hummus
Good. There's a typo in the recipe that says "add the chickpeas," but only white beans are used. This is a simple hummus, but has balanced flavor. Not super special, and wouldn't make it again, but tasty. I will say that I did not do the recommended chilling, so maybe the flavor does super improve. A good dip. (AC)
za'atar spiced roasted red pepper spread

Cold Appetizers
artichoke and walnut stuffed belgian endive

avocado and asparagus sushi rolls

couscous dolmas

cheezy cashew roasted red pepper toasts

cherry tomatoes stuffed with whirled peas

jicama guacamole bliss

lentil pecan country style pate

lemon and garlic marinated mushrooms

lemongrass tofu and snow pea spring rolls

lemony rice stuffed grape leaves

mango avocado spring rolls

marinated olives

mushroom walnut pate

rainbow sushi

sesame seitan and spinach spring rolls

sesame shiitake wonton crisps

snow peas stuffed with sun dried tomato hummus

vietnamese style lettuce rolls

Hot Appetizers
artichoke mushroom phyllo packets

asparagus wrapped in phyllo

baby potatoes stuffed with roasted bell pepper and walnuts

basic bruschetta

cajun tofu crunchies
These were yummy, very basic but I've never really used cajun spice so it was a nice change. I generally don't bake tofu due to me messing it up somehow, but these were super good dipped in ketchup (I cut them like fries). I only changed one thing, which was adding more of the oil/spice mixture when I flipped them halfway through, I also might have cooked them just a couple minutes longer. (sarah)
cherry peppers stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts

chickpea kofta with chutney dipping sauce

chickpea pancake with rosemary
now, this is the first time I've made or eaten socca before, so I have no idea if it is supposed to be salty, but this was hella salty. I used dried rosemary instead of fresh. Other than the salty factor, I thought this was quite good. My hubby and son loved it. It went great with a lemon chickpea lentil soup and some steamed broccoli. I'll definitely make it again, but I'll reduce the salt to maybe 1/2 teaspoon, instead of 1 full teaspoon. (lebkuchen)
classic crostini

french onion pastry puffs

ginger lime glazed bean curd skewers

in lieu of crab wontons

mushroom croustades

mushrooms stuffed with spinach and walnuts

pinto pecan fireballs

potato samosas

savory artichoke squares

sesame cilantro scallion pancakes

shiitakes in puff pastry

spicy chipotle potato quesadillas

steamed vegetable dumplings

tempeh satay
I'd make this again if all I had was tempeh in my fridge but I wouldn't recommend to go out of the way to make this. (intheend)
tempeh taco bites

vegetable pakoras

Agave-Glazed Pecans: Absolutely delicious with the maple syrup (variation suggest by Robin). Like a dessert!

Curried Cashews: I love it! Curry and cashews are a very good combination. Very useful when you receive many people.

Spinach Salad with Almonds, Fuji Apple and Figs: Sophisticated salad. Beautiful presentation. Yuum . I like it.

Chickpea "Tuna" Salad in Avocados: It's absolutely amazing! I didn't put the mixture in a food processor, but it stills very good! To make again and again.

Classic Tabbouleh: It's not the better tabbouleh I made.

Broccoli Noodle Soup: It's ok. Nothing more.

Sicilian Penne with Tomatoes and Eggplant: It tastes like tomatoes with eggplant. It's correct.

Farfalle with White Beans and Roasted Asparagus: Dry. Too much garlic. I didn't like it.

Persian Noodles and Lentils: It's good, but I will put more spices next time.

Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu: It's pretty good, but I'm sure that I can find a better recipe for a lo mein. I made with eggplant and zucchini instead of broccoli and carrot.

Sprintime Rice Noodles with Coconut Crème: It's ok. A little bit dry. The idea is good, but the dish needs a little twist.

Jamaican Red Bean Stew: Very good and colorful!

Chickpea and Vegetable Curry: It's very very good! The raisins add a sweet taste delicious. To make again without hesitation. And the spices...yuum!

Coconut-Peanut Chickpeas and Vegetables: Just as good as the Chickpea and Vegetable Curry! The peanut butter adds a lot of flavor to the recipe!

Tamarind Chickpea Stew: Correct.

Crispy Tofu with Sizzling Caper Sauce: Fabulous! My favorite recipe in this cookbook. It's soooo good! Don't wait! Try it!

Tempeh with Maple, Mustard and Balsamic Glaze: I used tofu instead of tempeh. The recipe is fast and useful, but the taste is just ok.

Broccoli Sauté with Tofu Feta: For the tofu feta, I didn't like it very much, because I prefer when the tofu is cooked. The broccoli sauté was good. The capers add the special touch.

Forbiden Black Rice Pudding: Amazing!!! It's my favorite pudding recipe. With the coconut milk, it's a delight!

Mushroom Sauce: Delicious. I ate it over couscous.

Chunky Fresh Tomato Sauce: Bland.

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I made beans bourguignon (not very summery but I was feeling like something substantial).  For once in my life I followed the recipe exactly.  It was absolutely delightful.  Seriously, it's my new favorite food.  It had a really deep, earthy, rich flavor (could be the wine + earth balance + mushrooms combo).  This recipe honestly makes me excited for my next winter visit to Maine (winters in southern Virginia barely warrant a real hankering for some kind of hearty stew).  It would be so nice to come in from snowshoeing to a big bowl of this.  Definitely make this for non-vegan guests, it would totally banish the perception of vegan food as unsatisfying. 

:)>>>

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Spicy black bean and orzo soup - very good.  I didn't have 3 cans of black beans so I used two black beans and one pinto beans, and it was fine.  I didn't purree the entire thing, but about 2/3s to make it a little more hearty. I think the sun ddried tomatoes was a great idea.  I mixed in the orzo rather than put the orzo in the bowl and put the soup on top.  Went good with a homemade veggie burger. (tweety)

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Sicilian style tofu - Fantasic....I couldn't go wrong with this recipe because it's all my favorite stuff, garlic, tomatoes, tofu, olives...and they all go well together with white wine simmered in. I diced the tofu instead of slicing it and skipped the "keep them warm in a heated oven" part and just added the cubes in at the end and heated them up.  I did use the optional fresh basil at the very end. 

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tempeh and stir fried vegetables - Excellent.  Just the right combination of Asian incredients to make it yummy.  I used fresh hot red chilis instead of crushed red pepper. 

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Two potato soup - Really quick to make and was good.

Spanish rice and beans - Love this dish! It has so much flavor. This is one of my all-time fave beans and rice dishes

Chocolate chip cookies - Good, old fashioned cookies.

Drunken spaghetti - This was so tasty but I would have liked if it was a bit more saucy.

Basic polenta - Exactly what it is, basic, but I liked it.

Linguine puttanesca - This went over well with my omni family. I served it with some homemade garlic bread.

Quick herb bread - It was just okay. There really wasn't that much flavor going on and it was a bit crumbly. I would not make this again.

Brown rice and artichokes - Very simple and filling. The flavor isn't going to amaze you but it's great for when you're lazy.

Coconut peanut chickpeas and vegetables - This recipe is a huge winner!! It has just the right amount of PB and all the flavors go together nicely.

Mornay style cheese sauce - Tasty but watery. This works well in the Cheezy tomato maccaroni recipe. It'll soak into the noodles awhile after baking.

Cheezy tomato maccaroni - I added broccoli and bread crumbs on top. This was so good!

Pinto bean patties - These rocked especially when eaten with a homemade bun.

Tricolor rotini with pesto bianco - Yuck. I could not eat this at all. It just seemed like the flavors didn't work well together.

Pad thai - This was alright but it wouldn't be repeated in my kitchen. It's probably because I'm not a huge fan of lemon and I felt like it was overpowering.

Coconut pistachio rice pudding - Yes please! So freaking yum. Don't be afraid of the cardmom in it- it's just enough to give it a little flavor.

Golden veggie burgers - Another homerun for veggie burgers. I had to add way more gluten but it's good so I don't care.

Vegan whipped cream - Made this to go on top of ice cream and was very pleased with the taste and texture.

Cashew creme - Didn't like this at all. It had too heavy of a maple flavor for me.

Mexican green rice and beans - I used 2 serranos that were seeded and this was way too hot for my family. Next time I would just use one or maybe none at all. It was also watery but I didn't mind.

Caramel sauce - This doesn't thicken up very well but it tastes delish.

Banana fritters - Hell yes! These were fried up in some coconut oil. I used the caramel sauce to put on them and everyone was ranting about how good they are.

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I think for the simplicity of the recipes, I'm going to bump Veganomicon from my cookbook "recommended for new vegans" list and move this one to the top.  There are so many quick and easy recipes here.

soba and green lentil soup - Excellent.  I thought it weird to be using soba noodles in a lentil dish, but it worked.  I thought it would be bland because it only has thyme for an herb, but that was just o.k. with the onions and tomato.  I added some crushed red pepper because everything needs heat.  (tweety)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs023.ash2/34506_1366698886344_1197836956_30850176_355985_n.jpg

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I think for the simplicity of the recipes, I'm going to bump Veganomicon from my cookbook "recommended for new vegans" list and move this one to the top.  There are so many quick and easy recipes here.

That's quite the compliment!

I really need to visit this book more. I'm going to look at it tonight. That meal looks excellent. Is that a grilled avo sandwich?
I always admire your meals, tweets, especially since you work so much!

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Thanks AC....That is a grilled avo sandwich.  I got the idea from you and I'm nuts about it.

I'm only working 3 12-hour days lately as it's our slow seaon here in this part of FL, so I don't work all that much anymore.

I think an experienced vegan would like Veganomicon better, but a newbie would like 1000 Recipes better, because it's simpler and has more stuff.

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white and wild mushroom and barley soup  Fantastic!  This dish takes a lot of mushrooms and is for mushroom lovers only.  I used the 12 oz. of white, and then a mix of mushrooms that included baby bella, shitake, and oyster.  I didn't have enough so I added some dried shitakes I had on hand.  I used Maggi veggie cubes for the broth.  The taste is so good!  (tweety)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs162.snc4/37452_1368526732039_1197836956_30853486_6474193_n.jpg

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(pesto) Focaccia

I did the focaccia recipe, but just didn't spread pesto. I sprinkled coarse salt and rosemary over the top. The bread is really good. My yeast took longer than usual to bubble, so I wasn't sure, but it rose very well, and came out pretty perfect. It took longer than 20 minutes, but I ended up baking it just a tad bit too long. I don't have any complaints, and I'll do the pesto next time.

Sherry braised baby bok choy

My first baby bok choy experience. I got confused and cut the bottoms off, so they weren't in half. I guess they were individual leaves. I didn't even add the water, and I started to think that there was too much liquid. ..especially since it was supposed to be covered. I dunno, maybe I got confused by the method. I wasn't wowed by this at all. It was fine, but the liquid was leftover, and not a lot of the flavor was left. I'm not giving up on baby bok choy, but won't do this exact way again.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs037.ash2/35235_10150211033005533_507120532_13559308_5389182_n.jpg

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Black beans and wild rice

Kinda weird to follow a recipe for beans and rice, but I tried. Marjoram seems like a weird herb for this? I went with it. Used soy sauce for the salt, and some sriracha. I did an avocado salsa type thing for the top, and that pretty much elevated it 100%. I actually thought it was too much spinach to add, because there were lots of large spinach leaves. Also thought it was weird that she suggests serving beans and RICE on top of rice. I get that it would be black/black on white, but rice on rice? Anyway, always a fan of beans and rice, but nothing special here. Wild rice is always great, though.

Maple pecan waffles

Love these! These are right up there with our favorite waffle recipes. The pecans are supposed to be "coarsely ground." I was afraid of too large pecan pieces, but ended up with too small. I added maybe 2/3 cup of ground pecans, but I was wishing I had some chunkier pieces. They still added flavor, but I wanted more pecan. I like that there's no egg sub (just baking powder), and it's really simple. I added a tad bit of water, because I like a runnier batter. No stickage at all. I made a strawberry apple compote for the top, but these would definitely be great with just maple syrup. Great recipe.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs015.ash2/34091_10150211691855533_507120532_13574443_485791_n.jpg

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Pasta arrabbiata
I always make my own sauces, so this wasn't anything too different. However, I sometimes overdo it so this had a nice, simple balance. I did add a bit of red onion, and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. I used crushed tomatoes. The 1 tsp of red pepper was perfect. I didn't think it would be enough, but it had spice that wasn't overpowering. A good, simple sauce

Dijon vinaigrette
Delicious dressing! I'm not sure if I added 2 or 3 tbs of the dijon, but it was perfect. I used red onion for shallot, the dried marjoram, and fresh basil. I just streamed in olive oil until it looked done, so I'm sure it wasn't anywhere near 3/4 cup. I will probably make this again, if I remember.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs131.snc4/36922_10150212152265533_507120532_13586615_6997226_n.jpg

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Slow simmered collard greens

These seemed like they'd be average, but mine came out to be some of the best greens I've had! I followed everything except did soy sauce + a splash of water + sriracha in place of vegetable broth. I didn't want a lot of liquid. I did chipotle salsa for the chipotle. Perfectly cooked, a bit of heat, smoky. Very satisfying.

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Slow simmered collard greens - being Southern, I love me some collard greens and AC's review made me want to try it myself.  I agree, very satisfying and tasty.  I used 1 lb. bag of collards, a Maggi veggie cube for the broth, lots of chipolte sauce and a pepper,and followed the recipe except I did add a splash of liquid smoke at the end.  I did not have any liquid leftover and used the whole cup. (tweety)

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potato and artichoke stuffed portobello mushrooms:

I really, really enjoyed this.  I made it with the basic brown sauce as recommended.  It needs a side dish though, something green perhaps.

soy-tan cutlets
I wanted to like these, but they were so chewy, almost tough, and...tasteless.  They really need more seasoning.

edited to add that I like the soy-tan cutlets more when I had them cold the next day.  I think they would be good on a sandwich.  If I made them really REALLY thin next time I could use them as sandwich meat.    

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Tofu Pizzaiola - This was very tasty but I wouldn't drain the tomatoes next time. I like a lot of sauce on everything and this was a tad too dry for me. With that change, this will be a repeat!

Basic Brown Sauce - I was hesitant to use the wine in this recipe since a few family members aren't big fans but I decided to go for it and no one complained, in fact, everyone ended up liking it.

Seitan and scalloped potatoes - Had an awesome down-home flavor going on. Make sure you serve it with some homemade biscuits.

Chickpea and vegetable loaf - This was just okay but I would never make it again. It was just dry and seemed very chewy.

Mushroom sauce - I've made this 3 times now and it still rocks.

Chinese noodles and broccoli - If you can, use some fresh noodles from the Asian market. Beware that they go bad very quickly once cooked though so make sure this meal is eaten in two days. I love this dish and use Chinese baked and seasoned tofu.

Vegan mayo - Gross. I was in a bind and really needed mayo so I tried this recipe and hated it but luckily it didn't ruin my macaroni salad. It has a heavy mustard taste.

Grilled tofu with tamarind glaze - This was so flavorful and was a memorable meal. It made a lot of sauce too (which is always a plus for me).

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Edamame Donburi - This was quick to cook up and was delicious. However, when I make this again, I'll cook the tofu first to get that yellow look. I used fresh shiitakes and also added the optional aburage sauteed in soy sauce and mirin. The aburage strips really shine in this- you get a burst of flavor when you get a piece in your mouth. Also, I added a full block of tofu instead of the 8 oz. I just upped the soy sauce 1 more tablespoon.

Edited: I have some more reviews to add.

Thai-phoon stir-fry - Made this for dinner and it was fast to put together. I really enjoyed it but it needed more salt so next time I'd add another tbsp of soy sauce or you could just sprinkle some more on. Make sure you add the chopped peanuts too! It's great for a variance of texture.

Chai spice cookies - I loved these cookies!! At first I was kind of weirded out by using 1 1/2 tsp of ground fennel and was debating as to whether I should include it. Well I did and it totally blended in. These cookies are perfectly spiced and sweetened- I also like them cause they aren't overly crispy.

Spice island tofu - My partner raved about how good this was. The only complaint was that there isn't enough sauce so double it if you're a saucy person. I did try a bite of this and was impressed as well but then again, anything with pineapple usually wins me over.

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Tofu with snow peas and lemon grass - Very good.  I used jarred lemon grass so the flavor was hard to detect, but still was a nice easy stir fry, and I'm nuts for Asian style tofu.  I used a jalapeno instead of crushed red pepper.  I didn't add any extra sugar as I used mirin which is sweet enough.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs208.ash2/47161_1426174413195_1197836956_31001224_28592_n.jpg

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Scrambled tofu with chiles and salsa - I used my own homemade salsa and this was really good. I tossed in some tempeh sausage crumbles from VWV, some daiya cheese, and wrapped it all up in a tortilla. Total winner!

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Giant peanut butter and chocolate cookie cake - I was so excited about this because I had made some Vanilla ice cream to go with it and while the taste was good, this was VERY dry. It also made a ton so I ended up throwing a lot of it out. Maybe a little more milk would help or maybe some oil? I'm not sure but I don't care enough to try this again just for experimentation.

Banana-pecan strudel - This was the best banana dessert I've ever made. It only has a few ingredients but they come together beautifully. Everyone who tried this was in love with it. Make sure you add the optional rum! This is what pulls it together.

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