Customer Reviews

Olive Oil Baking: Healthy Recipes That Increase Good Cholesterol and Reduce Saturated Fats

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We all know about the benefits of Olive Oil so to see it applied to baking intrigued me. After trying many recipes I have to say that the author, Ms.Sheldon, has hit a home run. My family can't decide on a favorite yet. I have ordered SIX more copies to be sent out as Christmas gifts. I am grateful for this well thoughtout book.

I'm a huge fan of olive oil--just the smell of it when I open a bottle brings a smile to my face. I use it almost soley when I cook--it reminds me of my Italian grandmother's kitchen when I was a child. When this book was given to me as a gift I was little cynical because I know how healthy and good-tasting olive oil is for savory dishes, but with baking? I wasn't so sure. I gave it a try--the pumpkin cookies are a particular favorite. They're very moist and tasty. And you don't taste the olive oil--but you benefit from the nutrition! I can't wait to try more recipes. I also find the tips and information interesting.

So far every recipe I have made from this book has been great. Even my 8 year old says they are delicious. So far nothing has turned out oily or mushy. I got this book to help my family cut some of the saturated fats out of our lives.

I like baking. Maybe not every day. But enough to be potentially unhealthy! A low cholesterol kick looked like it could be the end of all that. But then I discovered this book. This truly fantastic, delicious book. OK, so it doesn't have any pictures. That's right - none. I know - bit of a shock! But once you're over that, you have a book packed full of delicious, healthy recipes (and some not quite so angelic) that work really well. How about the chocolate fudge brownies made mainly of courgettes (that's zucchini to some) and olive oil? You would never know -they taste properly indulgent! Love this book. And no, I won't lend it to you. Buy your own - I can't live without it!

It is our good fortune to have a friend who wrote her own cookbook and gave us lots of delicious things to taste. And now that the book is out, it's EVERYONE'S good fortune! Happily, the delicious things that have been coming out of Lisa's kitchen ever since we've known her now come out of OUR kitchen too, thanks to this book. Pancakes, pumpkin muffins -- everything we've tried has been excellent. We brought a double-batch of the apple muffins to our 2-year-old son's playgroup and they certainly passed the toddler test: The kids ate every single one! This book is our standard holiday gift this year.

Lisa Sheldon is a baking genius, bringing novelty and nourishment to the dessert plate. My 11-year-old son, partial to gingerbread from a boxed mix, thinks this gingerbread is the best ever! It improved on day 2, so it's a great make-ahead recipe. Substituting white whole wheat flour for the called-for whole wheat pastry flour works well.

"Olive Oil Baking" is a welcome addition to our well-stocked kitchen bookshelves. I'll be giving this book as a gift to several people, and Best-Ever Cinnamon Rolls will definitely be part of our holidays! What a winner.

I am surprised that the author does not provide nutritional analysis for the recipes. Ms. Sheldon probably could have easily provided some nutritional breakdown given that she is pursuing a master's in clinical nutrition. What happened? I would be very interested in knowing some elementary nutritional information without having to input the recipe into a program for basic anlaysis. Other reviews indicate the recipes yield good results so I am looking forward to trying some.

I have tried and LOVED at least 3 cookie recipes, a chocolate zucchini bread, and an apple crisp from this book. I have yet to try a recipe that doesn't work out. I would recommend this book to anyone, whether they were trying to eat healthfully, or not. In the end what is important is that the food tastes good, and that's exactly what you get from the recipes in this book.

We just purchased this so I haven't used it much. We've made the modified "Nestle Toll House" chocolate chip cookie and the granola bars. Both items were delish and it was good knowing that they were somewhat healthier than traditional recipes. The one thing which I think is missing is nutritional information on the recipes. There are many people concerned with fat grams, calories, fiber, sodium content, etc..

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (11/07)


Being an olive oil fan I was thrilled to review this book. I've tried substituting olive oil in various recipes with not much success. This book is a godsend because it has a lot of my favorite recipes in it and I don't have to substitute!

First of all, I tried the Pumpkin Muffins. Delicious! Moist! And, the sweetness is just right. My second attempt was Almond and Hazelnut Biscotti, and again, not disappointed at all. The Biscotti was tasty and crisp. My third attempt, and most successful, was the Apple Crisp. I've attempted to make Apple Crisp before, substituting oil for butter but came up with a disaster that tasted oily. There was no oil taste in this recipe and was a hit with my husband.

My commendations go to Lisa Sheldon for creating "Olive Oil Baking" and giving us the alternative to healthier eating, not only by using olive oil, but also using unprocessed ingredients. The recipes are simple and all the ingredients may be purchased at any local grocery store if they aren't already in your pantry. Thank you Ms. Sheldon. I'm grateful for your recipe book.

Received book free of charge.