If you haven't discovered agave nectar, you're in for a delectable surprise. This natural, low-glycemic sweetener is a revelation for diabetics, parents of young children, and anyone else who wants to cut down on refined sugar but still enjoy deep, real, satisfying sweetness. Baking with Agave Nectar is bursting with more than 100 recipes for muffins, sweet breads, cookies, cakes, ice creams and sorbets, pies and tarts, sauces and frostings, and other special desserts. With scrumptious gluten-free, vegan, low-fat (or nonfat), and whole foods–based treats, as well as healthier (but still decadent tasting) versions of old favorites, there is truly something here for everyone. An ample glossary and resources section--with ingredients used in whole foods, vegan, and gluten-free baking--will help you make all your desserts a little (or a lot) healthier. Once you start baking with agave nectar, you'll find endless possibilities for adding utterly delicious sweet treats to a healthy diet.
Baking with Agave Nectar
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Boasting a low glycemic index and fewer calories per serving than refined sugar, agave nectar has been embraced by the health-conscious for years, and is becoming increasingly easier to source. Catalano, owner of Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Conn., gives readers 80 ways to use the versatile sweetener in this impressive collection. Agave-sweetened versions of favorites like sticky buns, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, lemon bars and creamy cheesecakes should be a boon for those previously unable to enjoy their sweets. As a bonus, a handful of recipes are vegan and gluten-free as well. Novices may be intimidated by the labor-intensive sticky buns and the prospect of making pie crust from scratch, but Catalano does her best to keep the recipes as simple as possible. As in many books of this type, ingredients like sprouted spelt flour, unsweetened soymilk powder and quinoa flour can be difficult to source, but Catalano helpfully provides a comprehensive guide to ordering them.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Exploring the delicious range of agave nectars has changed the way I think about sweeteners. Ania's book is a great place to find inspiration and get to know the nuances of this unique, all-natural sweetener." --Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Cooking "We all need better quality desserts, and cooking with agave nectar--a clean, natural sugar--is a step in the right direction. Enjoy these wholesome treats." --Elson M. Haas, MD, author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
112 of 115 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was really excited when I found out this book was being published, because I've only been using Agave Nectar for a few months and have had a hard time finding/adapting recipes. I preordered it months ago. My first time reading through the book had me considering sending it back. What I was hoping for was a collection of recipes that had been adapted to use Agave Nectar, but had familiar ingredients. The recipes call for things that are hard to find at a regular grocery store (at least in the area where I live). Barley flour, quinoa flour, and silken tofu are not items normally stocked in my kitchen.
So far, I've baked 3 different things from the cookbook. I've found that the cooking times given are too long, especially for the lemon bars. The flourless chocolate cake recipe also has errors, as it leaves out a step in combining ingredients. I'll keep trying different recipes, but I don't have high hopes that this is a cookbook I'll use every time I bake, and when I do use it, I'll make sure to set my timer for a lot shorter time than the recipes call for.
So far, I've baked 3 different things from the cookbook. I've found that the cooking times given are too long, especially for the lemon bars. The flourless chocolate cake recipe also has errors, as it leaves out a step in combining ingredients. I'll keep trying different recipes, but I don't have high hopes that this is a cookbook I'll use every time I bake, and when I do use it, I'll make sure to set my timer for a lot shorter time than the recipes call for.
75 of 77 people found the following review helpful
By a reader
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was so excited to hear about this book... I have PCOS and need to lay off the high-glycemic food. Another cookbook that I love--King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking--has whole-wheat recipes, but they also use tons of sugar, so it kind of negates the whole idea of low-glycemic baking (if that's what you're after). I thought this book would be the opposite--that it would use white flour even though it doesn't use refined sugar. To my delight, I was wrong. The recipes use whole grains only.
I was so excited to try the recipes... the book itself is beautiful, with gorgeous photographs and yummy-sounding recipes. And it was recommended by a cooking blog that I trust.
So today I tried the following recipes: Ultimate Fudgy Brownies and Raspberry Linzer Torte Cookies. Both were really easy to make, and used Spelt Flour (which, by the way is very expensive at $11 for 5 lbs, but for a cook book that uses an ingredient like Agave Nectar, expensive ingredients are to be expected).
The Brownies turned out very chocolatey, but the texture was.... off. I did whatever I could to keep from over-mixing and over-baking. I pulled it out of the oven 5 minutes before the recommended 30 minutes and found it to have this feel.. not quite rubbery, but like it was made with egg whites or something (in fact, it uses 4 whole eggs). And it looks like some of the agave nectar leached out of the batter and coated the bottom of the pan while it was cooking. Very strange.
The Linzer cookies were better, I think. The texture was great and I liked the combination of spelt flour, oats and almonds in the cookie portion. But the cookies were overwhelmed by the flavor of canola oil. Blechh!! And they really could have used some salt. Just a little. I'm really surprised that salt wasn't included in the recipe list.
It almost seems like these recipes weren't fully tested before being published. I really am surprised that they turned out this bad. Truly, neither one of these items is edible. And it's not like they are easy to screw up--they are both very simple recipes.
I may try one other recipe, maybe in a different category, but if that one doesn't turn out either, I'm done.
I was so excited to try the recipes... the book itself is beautiful, with gorgeous photographs and yummy-sounding recipes. And it was recommended by a cooking blog that I trust.
So today I tried the following recipes: Ultimate Fudgy Brownies and Raspberry Linzer Torte Cookies. Both were really easy to make, and used Spelt Flour (which, by the way is very expensive at $11 for 5 lbs, but for a cook book that uses an ingredient like Agave Nectar, expensive ingredients are to be expected).
The Brownies turned out very chocolatey, but the texture was.... off. I did whatever I could to keep from over-mixing and over-baking. I pulled it out of the oven 5 minutes before the recommended 30 minutes and found it to have this feel.. not quite rubbery, but like it was made with egg whites or something (in fact, it uses 4 whole eggs). And it looks like some of the agave nectar leached out of the batter and coated the bottom of the pan while it was cooking. Very strange.
The Linzer cookies were better, I think. The texture was great and I liked the combination of spelt flour, oats and almonds in the cookie portion. But the cookies were overwhelmed by the flavor of canola oil. Blechh!! And they really could have used some salt. Just a little. I'm really surprised that salt wasn't included in the recipe list.
It almost seems like these recipes weren't fully tested before being published. I really am surprised that they turned out this bad. Truly, neither one of these items is edible. And it's not like they are easy to screw up--they are both very simple recipes.
I may try one other recipe, maybe in a different category, but if that one doesn't turn out either, I'm done.
70 of 73 people found the following review helpful
By Health nut
Format:Paperback
I was extremely excited to find this book. I use agave nectar in my coffee, in dressings and in sauces and I was thrilled at the possibility of being able to bake with it. I ordered the book and read it from cover to cover. I then set to spend over $150 on ingredients listed in the book. I ordered the sprouted flours from one store, the oat and barley flours and other items from an amazon seller, the essences and dried fruits from another store and I patiently waited for everything to arrive, giddy at the thought that I will bake these wonderful bars, cookies and cakes.
Well, I first tried the zucchini drops. Inedible. My four year old spit it out, my 10 year old said there were awful and my husband put it down after one bite. In retrospect I think it was the sprouted flour, which gives an unbearable vegetable taste to everything you put it in. It's the first desert that I had to throw away in 20 years of baking. I thought it was just bad luck and the next day I tried the coconut bars. How can something which includes coconut, chocolate and walnuts not turn out good? I'll spare you the details but this was the second desert of my life who ended up in the trash can. I didn't even dare to try it on my family anymore. Using the 9x13 pan that the author suggested the crust ended up being a 1mm deep crumbly, vegetable-tasting mess and the filling didn't taste any better.
In my house, we eat healthy and we love agave nectar. But something is seriously wrong with these recipes. I should have paid more attention to the fact that some of the 5 star reviewers did not yet try the book but some of the lower rating reviewers had experiences similar with mine. Oh well, I'm now turning to the other book I bought along with this one, "Sugar-free and fruit sweet" by Janice Feuer and hope to have better luck with it.
Well, I first tried the zucchini drops. Inedible. My four year old spit it out, my 10 year old said there were awful and my husband put it down after one bite. In retrospect I think it was the sprouted flour, which gives an unbearable vegetable taste to everything you put it in. It's the first desert that I had to throw away in 20 years of baking. I thought it was just bad luck and the next day I tried the coconut bars. How can something which includes coconut, chocolate and walnuts not turn out good? I'll spare you the details but this was the second desert of my life who ended up in the trash can. I didn't even dare to try it on my family anymore. Using the 9x13 pan that the author suggested the crust ended up being a 1mm deep crumbly, vegetable-tasting mess and the filling didn't taste any better.
In my house, we eat healthy and we love agave nectar. But something is seriously wrong with these recipes. I should have paid more attention to the fact that some of the 5 star reviewers did not yet try the book but some of the lower rating reviewers had experiences similar with mine. Oh well, I'm now turning to the other book I bought along with this one, "Sugar-free and fruit sweet" by Janice Feuer and hope to have better luck with it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Favorite!
I lost my first version of this cookbook and couldn't be without it. Lots of fabulous recipes that have never disappointed and I am a high altitude baker!
Published 4 months ago by Terry
5.0 out of 5 stars
recipes I've tried so far.
I have decided that I can't give up desserts so they might as well be healthy, the first recipe I tried was spicy pumpkin muffins, the only thing I added extra was bananas, I... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Christy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good with some modifications ...
I have tried a few recipes in this book (with modifications) and have had good results. The recipes are interesting and varied. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Anna
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tasty stuff and no need to repent
This little cookbook has many tasty recipes for sweets that are almost good for you. Ideal for sugar junkies trying to live a healthier life. Read more
Published 18 months ago by PamiD
5.0 out of 5 stars
Doreen
Very satisfied with my order. Would order from them again. We have received it early. And that was good because it was a birthday gift. Would recommend.
Published 18 months ago by Doreen
1.0 out of 5 stars
Agave good for you, not so much
Agave nectar, I believed the hype like I'm sure so many people did. Agave nectar is just as bad a corn syrup, worse than sugar. Read more
Published on March 25, 2011 by irene not eileen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally a Baking using Agave
So happy to have this book. Now my world can change and include healthy desserts. I switched to Agave a year ago and when I tried sugar again, I found it too sweet and love the new... Read more
Published on March 10, 2011 by Stephanie L. Finman
1.0 out of 5 stars
Review
Was very disappointed in this book. Recipes require too many exotic ingredients. I was hoping the recipes were more neighborhood grocery store friendly.
Published on October 26, 2010 by Lulu
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not so useful to me.
The cookbook uses ingredients that are foreign to me - probably used in vegan cooking. I'm not interesting in that. Read more
Published on July 5, 2010 by Sue
2.0 out of 5 stars
full of untested and un-proofed recipes
Thankfully I did not purchase this book. I borrowed it from a friend. I'm giving it back!
I have tried 5 recipes in this cookbook, and so far all of them have been either a... Read more
I have tried 5 recipes in this cookbook, and so far all of them have been either a... Read more
Published on February 7, 2010 by Frustrated
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