Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts

My way of life is to eat a primarily whole-food-plant-based-diet, with very little processed food, rarely any sugar, no added salt and no oil. So, what to do when one wants to make a birthday cake? Not just one, but four birthday cakes, for a precious little granddaughter (also plant-based) on her fourth birthday, with a party to include a very large community? Sure, I’ve made delectable plant-based desserts-with dates and cacao, but I had a choice: make something less like a cake and more like a mousse/torte, or make a CAKE, A CHOCOLATE CAKE, a rich and delicious chocolate cake that my little love was requesting. My heretofore venture into baking vegan cakes that were delicious: not so great.Where to start? Where to find something that would still be more healthful, free of animal products--but be delicious to everyone? Not only is it vegan, the author stresses the use of organic flours, organic certified fair-trade vegan sugars and chocolates-ethical ingredients.There is so much to learn here! Did you know that dark chocolate might still contain milk?! Do you know the difference between Dutch-process cocoa and natural cocoa? I was thrilled to find this gem of info and when to use which type!Okay, there is lots of info. And precise instructions. But what about the recipes? Hands down, these are some of the best deserts I have ever made or eaten! Ever! The Bittersweet Ganache-Glazed Chocolate Torte to Live For was scrumptious! I made 4, for goodness sake, and they were phenomenal! Actually the complete title of the book is a perfect description of the contents: “Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts.” There is an oil-free version of the Chocolate Torte to Live For, but for the first time since becoming plant-based, I made the decision to use the 1/4 cup of oil in the entire cake recipe (vs the sometimes pound of butter I once used in my non-vegan recipes), and to accept the fact that there may be an occasional, really special event that will call for a really special treat, like the ones in this book. I am glad to know, though, that I can make the oil-free version another time.I have told you about the info and the recipes, but I haven’t even touched upon the exquisite photos! You will be drooling! This is a gorgeous, gorgeous book! I am thrilled to have a vegan chocolate book that will allow me to make something everyone will enjoy, not using fake ingredients whose names I can’t pronounce to replace the eggs, milk/cream, butter, white sugar, white flour I no longer use. And these will taste like the best chocolate creations-vegan or not-you have ever tasted! I am pretty sure that most of the guests who ate these cakes had no idea these were vegan cakes-they were just delicious chocolate cakes. After all, many came back for seconds!This book is a treasure! Fran Costigan is a master and I am grateful she chose to share her expertise!

The fact that I find myself writing a review of a cookbook is pretty humorous. I've been a musician all of my life and am quite comfortable writing reviews of music and arts-related projects that I think people need to be aware of, but a cookbook? That's something my awesome chef of a wife is much better qualified to do. On the other hand, it's always a joy to share something you love with other folks, and I LOVE this cookbook.Since we began eating plant-strong/non-animal/vegan (whatever you'd prefer to call it), the one food category we've missed most is dessert and, in particular, chocolate dessert. There are lots of wonderful things you can create with fruit, but when the cacao/chocolate desire springs up, black bean brownies don't quite fit the bill.While vacationing at the Chelsea Market in NYC, we wandered into a book store that emphasized local authors. Surveying the stacks, my eye was drawn to the cover and the seeming dichotomy of the word 'Vegan Chocolate' imposed over a beautiful photo of an amazing chocolate iced chocolate cake.Next to the Happy Herbivore cookbooks, Fran Costigan's book is the best investment we've made. The book has a variety of recipes from very simple and reasonably quick 'Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies,' to a multi-step layered 'Chocolate Cherry Miroir Cake,' both of which are fabulous. Obviously Costigan has invested much time experimenting to come up with these perfect recipes. And one if the most rewarding things is that, if you don't tell folks these are vegan recipes, I can almost guarantee they won't notice...they're simply excellent, rich and (occasionally) decadent desserts. We still have yet to recreate the various truffle recipes which we simply haven't gotten to yet because we keep returning to the ones we've done that are so successful every time. My wife and I would both say that the 'No-Oil-Added Chocolate Torte to Live For' is the best cake/torte that we've ever had...period.Costigan was also very thoughtful to include a resource list (some of the ingredients are a bit less common [i.e. vegan marshmallows] and a little more challenging to find, though Amazon has many of them), a bibliography reading list, and a list of organizations and publications, all very helpful resources (especially for someone, like ourselves, who live in meat & three central...Tennessee).Perhaps the most revealing thing to say is that the sub-title "Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts" is not merely hyperbole, but an accurate representation of what the book contains. If you're looking for an amazing collection of desserts you'll be excited and unapologetic to share with ANYone, including your omnivore friends, THIS is the book to buy. We will definitely purchase copies for our special friends.BTW, Ms Costigan, we recognize it took years to create these special recipes, but please know, we are anxiously awaiting your follow up :-)

Le livre est très épais et comporte vraiment beaucoup de recettes différentes. Les recettes sont détaillées et très bien expliquées. Si vous aimez le chocolat n'hésitez pas !L'autrice est une référence dans les pâtisseries veganes.

Tolle Rezepte.Die Beschädigung am Buchrücken war allerdings nicht in der Beschreibung. Es wurde als gebraucht und gut erhalten beschrieben. Diese Beschädigung ist mehr als einfach nur Gebrauchsspuren. Sehr ärgerlich!

Beautiful book! Great recipes, and it’s all vegan! A bit fancy for the every day cook, but I like the recipes for special occasions. Amazing pictures :)

hands down, the best vegan dessert book I have ever had!!! I have already tried several recipes from the book and each one is better than the other. Better than desserts that use dairy and eggs! Congratulations Fran!!!

It's awesome .