Rating: 8 out of 10
When I saw the title of this cookbook, I was excited. Although I don't personally identify as vegan, I do avoid dairy because it doesn't sit well with me (to put it nicely). And nearly every chocolate recipe has milk in it, or some form of dairy. I've even seen sour cream! Well, of course I can go buy vegan sour cream or milk and try to substitute, but it doesn't always work out. Sometimes, soy milk is NOT the same as milk! They just don't always behave the same, and it really depends on the recipe.
When I find vegan dessert recipes, they are often not chocolate. I do love chocolate, and I don't see anything wrong with eating it now and again. But I prefer to have less sugar, and of course, no dairy. It doesn't seem like that much to ask, but it can be very difficult to find.
The first recipe I chose to review was the first recipe in the book: Chocolate Chia Smoothie Pudding. I have never heard of anything referred to as a smoothie pudding, and I was intrigued. The recipe described it as being similar to an ice-cream shake, and I think that's a good description. I should tell you that my husband and I are not fans of chia seeds, even though we know they are healthy for us. I have to say that this is a great way to get them into your diet if you are looking to -- they aren't noticeable at all in the smoothie. I didn't care too much for having this served over ice cubes (made from almond milk) but it just didn't seem to go with the texture. I may make this again, and skip the ice cube scenario. I found this to be very good, but it was so thick. On the plus side, it was very filling!
The second recipe I made from this cookbook was #22: Three Ingredient Brownies. I was extremely skeptical of this recipe. The three ingredients are bananas, almond butter, and cocoa powder. I was pretty sure that there was no possibility of those three ingredients turning into a brownie! Well, I was both right and wrong. I made the puree in the food processor, and then prepared to bake it. The recipe just called for a "baking pan," so I wasn't sure what to do! I used a 9x9 glass baking pan, and it seemed to be the correct size. While I was transferring the mix, I did try a little bit off of the scraper and it was amazing. I thought if nothing else, we could just eat it uncooked! The other part of this recipe that wasn't quite correct was the timing. We had to cook it for at least 5 minutes longer before it set. But it did set! I was quite surprised. I mean, I wouldn't quite call this a "brownie," but it was very delicious. It actually reminded me of a no-bake recipe: very smooth and creamy. I would definitely make these again.
I'm looking forward to trying more recipes from this cookbook, especially Thin Chocolate Crepes, Vegan Chocolate Waffles (it has been VERY difficult for us to find a vegan waffle recipe we like), and Chocolate Covered Popcorns.
I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
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