I'm thrilled to finally share this review and giveaway with you today. I jumped at the chance to be part of Ricki's virtual book tour, as I am such a HUGE fan of Ricki and her amazing blog: RickiHeller.com. You've no doubt seen Ricki's new cookbook: Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free circulating the web and featured on many, many blogs.
This is a cookbook you NEED in your culinary library.
Let me ask you this...
Do you have a sweet tooth?
Do you enjoy desserts?
Are you trying to get white/refined cane sugar out of your life?
Do you suffer from Candida?
Do you often have intense sugar cravings?
Want to learn how to bake using natural, healthy ingredients?
Want to make healthy snacks for your children?
Want to make healthy snacks for your children?
If you answered yes to even one of these questions, then this book is for you.
What makes Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free different?
This is a book devoted entirely to desserts, breads, and treats.
All of Ricki's recipes are vegan and 100% free of: gluten, dairy, and cane-sugar.
Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free is a wonderful reference. Ricki shares her personal story and relationship with sugar from childhood to present day. She shares her low points and triumphs and her transition to permanent whole-food living without animal products and cane-sugar. Ricki states, "Today I enjoy a whole-food diet filled with delicious foods and no absence of treats."
If Ricki can do it, so can you! Let Ricki be your guide into a healthier lifestyle, let her show you how to have a positive relationship with the foods so often placed "off limits." Don't deprive yourself, celebrate food and celebrate health with Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free!
This is a book devoted entirely to desserts, breads, and treats.
All of Ricki's recipes are vegan and 100% free of: gluten, dairy, and cane-sugar.
Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free is a wonderful reference. Ricki shares her personal story and relationship with sugar from childhood to present day. She shares her low points and triumphs and her transition to permanent whole-food living without animal products and cane-sugar. Ricki states, "Today I enjoy a whole-food diet filled with delicious foods and no absence of treats."
If Ricki can do it, so can you! Let Ricki be your guide into a healthier lifestyle, let her show you how to have a positive relationship with the foods so often placed "off limits." Don't deprive yourself, celebrate food and celebrate health with Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free!
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When reviewing a cookbook, I prefer to test several recipes and provide feedback for my readers, so continue reading for my recipe reviews. And at the end of this post you can enter to win your very own copy of Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free.
Recipe Review
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For the first recipe I could not wait to make her "Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies" (page 116). I haven't had sugar cookies in years, er, I haven't had sugar cookies that tasted this AMAZING in years. I cannot stress how close to traditional sugar cookies these taste in texture and flavor. The dough was easy to work with (I left it in the fridge over night), it rolled out perfectly the next day, the dough kept its shape, the cookies were light and flaky and BUTTERY (yes these vegan cookies tasted buttery), and they were the perfect sweetness level. I frosted these bad boys with Ricki's world famous Chocolate "Buttercream" Frosting (and I went crazy and ate like 10 cookies in one day). I would buy this cookbook for the sugar cookie recipe alone my friends, it's that good. I had such fun with my kids cutting out the shapes (pumpkins for Halloween of course) and frosting was a blast. Oh oh oh, this frosting. No words. Just make it and you'll see. I used tahini and was pleasantly surprised by how much I LOVED it in there (admittedly, I was skeptical at first) but Ricki knows her stuff and she is right on the money with her subs and suggestions).
Next I made Raw Gingersnap Cookie Bon Bons (page 206). Filled with nuts, oats, cinnamon and ginger, these little bite size treats are fabulous. The coconut butter coating is sensational. My family really enjoyed these. For me the ginger was extra special. It's one of my favorite ingredients and flavors.
For a dinner party with friends I made Raw Frosted Lemon-Poppy Seed Squares (page 208). Let me just say this...a 7 year old boy at the gathering devoured these. His mom leaned over and said, "He's super picky...I cannot believe he is eating so many of those." Nuff said!
And finally, homemade Oatmeal Poppy Seed Scones (page 54). This was my first time making scones! Yes. You know I'm not a very adventurous baker so I appreciate Ricki's easy-to-follow recipes. I made a large batch of Ricki's All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour Mix (page 22) which is awesome. This cookbook appeals to both the novice and seasoned baker. The scones were a hit with the family. I had to put a 2 1/2 scone limit on my 4-year-old son that night. The poppy seed flavor was subtle and pleasing.
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I made some delicious gluten free pumpkin cupcakes with chocolate butter cream frosting this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy a chocolate bean cake I've been making recently.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite desert is Prune cake.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to choose one! I love treats - homemade ice cream, chocolate cake, homemade fudge ... the chocolate frosting and the raw gingersnap cookies looks so delicious. Thanks Amber, what a great review and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to win a copy but I'm in Canada. Am I allowed to enter?
ReplyDeletethis home made vanilla soft serve sundae with olive oil and sea salt at a wonderful restaurant in the cities
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveaway! Your recipes are great and make feeding my family with allergies and diabetes sooooo much easier :)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to a great cookbook!
ReplyDeleteSpunky Coconut vanilla bean cake! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteSunflower butter cookies with dairy free chocolate chips!
ReplyDeleteAnything chocolate, fav is cupcakes
ReplyDeleteAmber--Oh, my goodness! I'm sorry I'm so late with this comment as I was away all day and came home to this amazing, wonderful review!! I'm blown away. Thank you so much for this incredible and thorough review of the book!! AND I can't believe how gorgeous your sugar-free cookies came out!! The lemon poppyseed bars are beautiful, too. . .well, actually, everything you made is just stunning. I hope you'll pin these photos to the NS&GF Pinterest page?? :D I'm thrilled that you (and your friend's son, and your family) liked the recipes this much! Now off to share this fabulous post. Thanks so much! xoxo
ReplyDeleteHi Ricki. I'm so glad you are pleased with the review and giveaway. I absolutely adore your cookbook and honored you invited me on your virtual cookbook tour. I am STILL making your recipes (at least one each week). This cookbook is a treasure. Love, love, LOVE it.
DeleteHugs to you,
--Amber
I love lemon flavor, so I would have to say a good lemon bread is my favorite dessert. I also love spritz cookies!
ReplyDeleteChocolate anything!
ReplyDeleteI have a major sweet tooth I try to keep in check.... and I love to bake... double whammy! Chocolate cake, cookies, brownies... hmmm... would love Ricki's book!
ReplyDeleteWould love to win - I love PB pie!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE raw desserts.
ReplyDeleteThese all look so wonderful. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMine is the very classic chocolate! Yum
ReplyDeleteI love chocolate chip cookies. But my son is trying to turn me into a cupcake fan!!!
ReplyDeleteI love chocolate, but pumpkin anything comes in second!
ReplyDelete