Book Contest and Review: Sweet Utopia


I didn’t even know this book was coming out until the Book Publishing Company generously sent me a copy to review and then use in a giveaway. The book opens with stocking the vegan pantry for baking and some helpful conversion charts. Most recipe chapters open with tips to help ensure success.

Chapters include:

Decadent Cakes – the Ultimate Peanut Butter Cake looks especially tempting. The other cakes run the spectrum from the more traditional (Festive Apple Cake) to the more exotic (Banana Cake with Banana Caramel Creme and Roasted Pecans). I tried the Very Berry Corn Muffins from this chapter. I made them with frozen blueberries and dried cherries. They are a hearty, almost rustic tasting (in a good way) muffin that aren’t too sweet.


Scrumptious Cookies – most of these are vegan margarine based. Although I was torn between the Lemon Hearts and the adorable Choco-Choco Sandwich Minis, I made the Chocolate Chippers. The flavor was very good, but I think I should have added more flour. Anyone who has done any baking knows just how sensitive it can be and relies on their own judgement in a situation like this. Who knows if it’s the weather, the variations in flour, or something even more obscure? The author says to roll the dough into balls and that should have let me know I needed more flour, but I thought refrigerating it(as suggested) would do the trick. Mine ended up being drop cookies with a fair amount of spreading. As they are, they are great tasting, slightly cakey cookies, but probably not quite what the author intended. But I’d definitely make them again.

Creamy Cheesecakes and Pies – opens with lots of different crusts and continues with a wide array of cheesecakes. The Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie would be perfect for this time of year. There is also a Luscious Lime Pie and delicious looking Three Layer Cheesecake Bars, among others. Lots to choose from here!

Velvety Mousses, Puddings and Creams – has a lot of recipes you might expect, but with some interesting twists and turns such as Pina Colada Custard and Orange-n-Cream Gel. The chapter closes with some toppings to be used on pies or other desserts, most of which are cashew-based.

Luscious Treats – Chocolate Sausage? Chocolate Rose Halvah Balls? Praline Bars and Lemon Love Cups. Do you need me to continue? This chapter looks like it’s packed with unique recipes that didn’t quite fit anywhere else, some of which are real gems from what I can tell.

The book is loaded with pictures and would be terrific for new vegan, an omni who wants to bake for a vegan or even those of us who have a little more experience in the kitchen.

Now’s your chance to win a copy of this book. All you have to do is post a comment to this post telling me your favorite dessert. International shipping is ok! I’ll hold the drawing toward the end of next week and look forward to getting this book into the lucky hands of one of you. Be sure to check back to see if you’re the winner.

As always, a big thanks to the Book Publishing Company for doing these contests.

Tomorrow: Food Network Friday! This week’s recipe is for Loaded Mashed Potatoes from Paula Deen. If you make them, please link to Friday’s post.

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48 Comments

  1. Posted November 12, 2009 at 9:05 pm | Permalink

    Favorite dessert? That is a tough one! Honestly, I would have to say a huge bowl of watermelon :-) , but going in the spirit of a dessert cookbook, I would say brownies. Really thick, fudgey, gooey brownies! Yummmm :-)

    Courtney

  2. Posted November 12, 2009 at 10:04 pm | Permalink

    I’m a total sucker for brownies. Heck, ANYTHING with gobs of chocolate!

  3. Posted November 12, 2009 at 11:10 pm | Permalink

    Oh geeze… I’d have to say a plain old creme brulee.

  4. Posted November 12, 2009 at 11:32 pm | Permalink

    My favorite dessert is fresh berries, but I do love to bake! :)

  5. Posted November 12, 2009 at 11:48 pm | Permalink

    Chocolate: bar, “ice cream,” brownie, donut, whatever, as long as its chocolate!

  6. Posted November 12, 2009 at 11:54 pm | Permalink

    Something chewy! Brownies. Cookies. Yummy!

  7. Posted November 13, 2009 at 12:41 am | Permalink

    Eeek, that’s a tough one! Hard to go wrong with chocolate anything, really. :-) I suppose I’d have to go with chocolate fondue…with fruit, cake and cookies to dunk. :-)

  8. Posted November 13, 2009 at 12:41 am | Permalink

    I heart dessert! Ice cream is my favorite, no matter what time of year it is :)

  9. Posted November 13, 2009 at 1:22 am | Permalink

    Just one favorite dessert?!? Hmmmm. Right now anything with pumpkin. Pumpkin brownies really hit the spot!

  10. Posted November 13, 2009 at 1:38 am | Permalink

    Chocolate cake probably, when it comes right down to it!

  11. Posted November 13, 2009 at 1:51 am | Permalink

    Peanut butter banana cookies from Susan’s blog, FFV

  12. Posted November 13, 2009 at 2:07 am | Permalink

    I LOVE cheesecake.

  13. Posted November 13, 2009 at 2:14 am | Permalink

    Frosting! (No cake necessary)

  14. Posted November 13, 2009 at 3:23 am | Permalink

    yum! looks like a nice book. my (most recent) favorite dessert would have to be vegan pumpkin whoopie pies–they remind me of some creme-filled cookies from my childhood!

  15. Posted November 13, 2009 at 6:50 am | Permalink

    Lemon Love Cups? I love lemon anything!

  16. Posted November 13, 2009 at 9:18 am | Permalink

    it’s so hard to pick, probably red bean soup and mango pudding!

  17. Posted November 13, 2009 at 11:19 am | Permalink

    haven’t heard about this book. It sounds great. My favourite dessert? PB chocolate ice cream, but I eat so many sweets all the time :)

  18. Posted November 13, 2009 at 11:52 am | Permalink

    Hmm thats a tough one. My favorite dessert has to be a huge bowl of banana ice cream. YUM!

  19. ElaineT
    Posted November 13, 2009 at 12:36 pm | Permalink

    I could not pick just one favorite, but carrot cake and cheesecake would be top contenders.

  20. Posted November 13, 2009 at 12:56 pm | Permalink

    My favorite desert is usually breakfast. Is that wierd? I love sweet pancakes or belgian waffles with fruit and whipped cream. Well, and maybe ice cream, too!

  21. Posted November 13, 2009 at 2:07 pm | Permalink

    awesome giveaway. my favourite dessert is usually ice cream. i love the soy delicious brand.

  22. Posted November 13, 2009 at 5:13 pm | Permalink

    This is so hard to pick! I’m going to go with Chocolate Chip Cookies :-)

  23. Posted November 13, 2009 at 6:20 pm | Permalink

    At the moment my very favourite dessert is a Fruit Crumble – apple and / or pear for choice. Its getting colder so this is a lovely way to warm up at the end of a meal!!

  24. Posted November 13, 2009 at 6:30 pm | Permalink

    Apple crisp!

  25. Juelz Jozkow
    Posted November 13, 2009 at 6:37 pm | Permalink

    Hands down its NANAIMO BARS! If you don’t know what these are my heart goes out to you. They are easy to veganise and simple to make, perfect for showing people vegan desserts are a force to be reckoned with. Beware, they’re really, really rich. Think icing smothered with chocolate and you’re on the right track

  26. C
    Posted November 13, 2009 at 9:24 pm | Permalink

    This comment has been removed by the author.

  27. Posted November 15, 2009 at 10:21 pm | Permalink

    My favorite dessert is probably cookies. Or cupcakes. Or vegan milkshakes. Or pie … They’re all so good!!!

  28. Posted November 15, 2009 at 10:24 pm | Permalink

    I enjoy any kind of cookies. I am so excited for the cooler weather so I can spend more time baking?

  29. Posted November 16, 2009 at 4:34 pm | Permalink

    Anything that has chocolate! Chocolate cheesecake, brownies….but, wait, I also like cinnamon rolls, coffee cake…Oh! There’s too much to pick from!

  30. Posted November 16, 2009 at 11:18 pm | Permalink

    I love anything with chocolate or peanut butter… or chocolate AND peanut butter! ;o)

  31. Posted November 16, 2009 at 11:24 pm | Permalink

    Carrot Cake. Brownies. Coooookies. Lemon Bars! I love dessert!!

  32. Posted November 16, 2009 at 11:31 pm | Permalink

    Crunchy cookies dunked in chai tea!

  33. Posted November 16, 2009 at 11:54 pm | Permalink

    Oh my, favourite dessert? What a question. Possibly chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Or brownies, the really fudgy, gooey kind. Or raw cashew fudge! Or, or, or –

    Okay, my dream is to live off of desserts alone, I can’t lie.

    I would love to have a nice book of desserts that I could work on making gluten-free! But it’s really the mousses and puddings I’m looking forward to… I always mess up vegan puddings for some reason! :(

  34. Posted November 17, 2009 at 12:49 am | Permalink

    I’m willing to try any dessert, but I especially enjoy good vegan cake. Coconut cream cake or a rich chocolate cake.

  35. Posted November 17, 2009 at 2:12 am | Permalink

    pumpkin pie, I could eat a whole pie by myself. mmmm it’s great vanilla/maple chasew cream on top!

  36. Posted November 17, 2009 at 12:28 pm | Permalink

    Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They’re a staple in my house!

  37. Posted November 17, 2009 at 8:46 pm | Permalink

    easily has to be half-baked chocolate chip cookies..YUM!

  38. Posted November 17, 2009 at 10:42 pm | Permalink

    Favorite dessert? FRUIT TARTS!! Or, homemade vegan ice cream. :)

  39. Posted November 18, 2009 at 11:57 pm | Permalink

    Only one? Fudge? Lemon Meringue Pie? White Chocolate Macadamia nut cookies?

  40. Christine Perkins
    Posted November 19, 2009 at 12:01 am | Permalink

    Chocolate brownie (warm!), topped with vanilla ice cream and hot fugde sauce with a cherry on top! Of course all vegan :)

  41. Posted November 19, 2009 at 9:04 am | Permalink

    Oh man, I bake a lot, so this is a tough one.. I’ll say cheesecake! (this week anyway)

  42. Posted November 20, 2009 at 12:07 am | Permalink

    Wow, another giveaway! BTW I got my Raw dvd – thank you very much!

    My favorite dessert anytime anywhere is frosted fudgy brownies.

  43. Posted November 20, 2009 at 2:49 pm | Permalink

    My favorite dessert is black bottom cupcakes. They remind me of family and Thanksgiving. We always had them after dinner while playing Monopoly on Thanksgiving. I cannot wait for them this year!

  44. Posted November 21, 2009 at 11:31 am | Permalink

    Right now I’d have to say “Chunky Monkey Banana Bread” – banana bread with walnuts and chocolate chunks. So yummy!

  45. Posted November 21, 2009 at 4:42 pm | Permalink

    HOW can I pick just one favorite dessert? Right now the one that comes to mind is pumpkin bread pudding (with lots of pecans and raisins) and a really boozy bourbon sauce to go with it. YUM!

  46. Sami
    Posted November 25, 2009 at 8:12 am | Permalink

    Favorite dessert? It’s a tough question. I think it might just be rice pudding. It’s soothing, it’s rich, and dripping with nostalgic warm fuzzies. Coming inside after playing about in the frigid northern Minnesota winters to a blanket and a bowl of rice pudding with ,just a little cinnamon sprinkled on top… the stuff of Frost, I tell ya :)

    Favorite desert? Gobi, obviously.

  47. Posted November 29, 2009 at 3:18 pm | Permalink

    My grandmother’s chololate cake…I think it had something to do with the added care and love she baked into it :-)

  48. Posted April 28, 2010 at 3:44 pm | Permalink

    I love anything with chocolate or peanut butter… or chocolate AND peanut butter! ;o)

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