Love, Bake, Nourish: Healthier cakes and desserts full of fruit and flavor

Wow!And again...........wow!This is an impressive baking book, all due to the fact that it is wonderfully packed with "healthy" desserts............whaaaaa? Healthy desserts? You bet!First before getting into the recipes, there is something about the way this book was produced, there is something about the feel of the pages and the arrangements of the recipes and photos. It isn't your average baking book, actually it has a coffee table vibe to it because it's so beautiful to look at and touch; this is more to it than just a grouping of recipes. There is something very different here.The photography is stunning, and while that isn't the main attraction, there is something so gorgeous in each picture. Actually the photography is as natural, ethereal, and pure as the desserts themselves. I can imagine hanging some of the photos as kitchen artwork.The pages have a thick cotton feel to them; the photography is matte and very much a natural presentation. Actually the entire book is more a subtle journey of healthy eating and desserts just happens to be the main subject. Obviously not a teaching tutorial, but a wonderfully detailed compilation of excellent recipes to celebrate the heights of the fruit seasons.Amber Rose seems to have had a penchant for the natural life, gleamed from her childhood on New Zealand, and thanks to her mother's loving guidance on all things healthy and natural; having an orchard can inspire you! This has translated itself into her appreciation for what desserts should give to the tastebuds, and it has cultivated her palette to be secure in knowledge.While she uses white spelt flour most of the time, albeit pure and unadulterated, there are many recipes that are gluten-free, so there are many wonderful recipes for celiacs, and those challenged by gluten. Every single ingredient is encouraged to be in its purest form, for the end result is perfection!While the recipes are different, they are not odd or difficult. The steps range from rather simple to perhaps a bit more involved but nothing extravagant in nature, and so far, all delicious. The written words are clear, and detailed enough for ease for a novice.There are 189 pages of artwork and recipes for which it could be a veritable confusion of choices. There are 5 chapters of actual desserts with one added chapter of Herbal Teas, which makes a lovely ending to such a lovely baking experience. The chapters are divided into:Seasonal CakesFruit DessertsTarts & MeringuesSmall BitesCreams, Custards, and CompotesHerbal TeasAll of these use the best fruits of the season; each chapter deals with the complexity of added ingredients, or the lack thereof, in order to bring out the best of each fruit. One of the best recipes is the Lime Cake with Orange Blossom and Pistachio and Coconut and Sesame Seed Macaroons. I'm hoping to get to the Vanilla Custard, which is simple but rich, and a perfect accompaniment to so many desserts.A truly excellent and healthy book choice for everyone. Peace.

I consider myself to be an accomplished baker, and found myself side-eying the ingredient list for a few recipes. Not because of what the ingredients are, but because of the flawed measurements. Baking is basic chemistry and when you understand that you know that there are ways to make healthy substitutions without sacrificing the texture of your baked good.I have made two of the recipes in this book so far. I started with the Nutmeg Love Cake. I found the top cake layer had a good flavor, but crumbled and the bottom layer had a butter flavor that was too intense for my liking. I did like the lightness of the spelt flour. If you are going to cook with a flour that is low-gluten or GF, it is a good idea to add a thickening agent to keep it from crumbling, such as arrowroot or xanthan gum. These recipes do not include this type of basic addition, which will affect the texture of the cakes considering many of the recipes are made with spelt flour and nut flours.I just made "a simple nut flour cake". This was... not a cake. It was more of an egg custard with a touch of almond flour mixed in. It was too sweet and it was very greasy due to the 10 tbsp of butter it calls for. Based on a few of the recipes I looked it, it seems that there is much more butter in these recipes than I would normally expect to see. I am not sure if that is to account for the amount of sugar so that blood sugar doesn't spike when you eat it. This could be the case, but the amount of flour (recipe calls for 4 tbsp flour) should have been increased substantially. I kept it in the oven for almost double the bake time, but to no avail. It was a flop.What I will say for this book is that the photography is beautiful and it is giving me ideas for ways to alter other baking recipes to make them more healthy. I do plan to try more of the recipes in this book, but I will be doing a bit more research on gluten free baking and thickening agents - something the author should have done for us.

I have mixed feelings on this book - on one hand, I recommend it to friends on a regular basis. For people who enjoy baking but need to be careful with grains and sugar, this is about as good as it gets. The recipes feature lots of fruit, and has options for every season. Favorites include the pine nut peach cake, apricot pistachio crumble, and the banana cinnamon cake.That said, I've often found I've needed to increase the baking time/ oven temperature in order to get a cake that's done all the way through. Part of that is likely the fact that I'm using a silicone and glass Springform pan, rather than metal. I also find that a lot of these recipes need salt. I'm talking about good quality sea salt, here - it really helps the flavors to shine.But if you tweak those things, this book is a winner. It's probably best for people with a little pre-existing baking experience.

this is my newest favorite baking cookbook! so far I've baked seven of the cakes and they have all been delicious and easy. Not fussy at all in my opinion. Instead of white flour the recipes call for white or whole spelt flour and for sweeteners maple syrup or honey is used. I have not made anything from the other sections yet as there are so many cakes that I want to try first, but will get there eventually, and looking forward to it. I can hardly wait for her next cookbook. This one may not be for everyone, but it has helped change the way I bake. Thank you Amber Rose!

Excelente purchase! Fast delivery excellent Packaging!

The layout of this book is among the best in the market, beautiful and easily accessible. The unique recipes use uncommon but easy to find ingredients that allow you to bake and present guests with unique treats and flavors that you can't find in other cookbooks. Truly an amazing book!

This made a beautiful gift. My friend is exploring Paleo and Clean Eating and has a reputation as a gifted and generous baker, often creating gorgeous birthday cakes and treats. She was very excited to combine her love of baking and nutrition.

Beautiful book great recipes

Nice recipes, but the cake recipe seems to be the same one with various small modifications. Very disappointed in that regard. I love the photography in the book.

My wife (the professional chef) loves this book- very well presented with some good recipes. Innovative substitutions on the old school pastry stuff.

The recipes are easily adaptable for vegans (flaxseed eggs (1 tblspn ground flaxseed + 3 tblspns water = 1 egg equivalent) for eggs, non-dairy yoghurt or applesauce for yoghurt, and vegan sweetener for honey), and there is a terrific amount of unique recipes for healthy cakes. This includes using a lot of ancient grains (spelt, etc.) and a great coconut flour/ nut flour sponge base. I highly recommend this product.

Regularly got this book now. Everything I’ve tried is delicious and not too complicated to make - my toddler and I love the spice cupcakes and the beetroot chocolate cake. My son wants to bake every single day and I don’t feel too guilty if it’s one of these recipes.

I wanted a receipe for cake made with coconut flour and this book had them . I have used the banana receipe and it was lovely taste much different to normal flour but enjoyed it and it was easy to follow.