Chef Amber Shea

Hi all! I’m so excited to give you this photo-packed mega-preview of some of the recipes in my upcoming second cookbook Practically Raw Desserts: Flexible Recipes For All-Natural Sweets and Treats (the follow-up tome to my first book, Practically Raw). I introduced the book to you a few months ago, and today, I get to show you some additional photos and reveal more about the book’s contents. Practically Raw Desserts is due out on April 15th, but it’s available for preorder on Amazon right now, and I’m told that preordered copies WILL ship out early!

CLICK HERE to preorder from Amazon.com!

The need-to-know details:

All of the 100 recipes in Practically Raw Desserts are raw, vegan, low-glycemic, and free of dairy, eggs, gluten, wheat, soy, refined sugars, refined flours, yeast, starches, gums, corn, and peanuts.
All of the recipes contain fewer than 300 calories (and often considerably less) per serving.
Most of the recipes are also free of grains and oils.
Many of the recipes are also free of nuts and added sugars.
Almost all of the recipes come paired with full-color photos.
Many of the recipes can be made in under 20 minutes with no advance preparation necessary.
All of the recipes provide nutritional information, numerous ingredient substitution options, baking directions for using a conventional oven (if applicable), and fun and creative variations to stretch your desserts repertoire even further.
Many of the recipes also provide lower-fat, lower-sugar, nut-free, grain-free, and/or oil-free variations when possible, and chef’s tips to help streamline or enhance the recipe.

Want some more specifics? Get this:

Half the book consists of 20-minute recipes.
Only one-fifth of the recipes require you to turn on an oven or dehydrator (the rest are completely no-bake!).
Virtually the entire book is grain-free!
Two-thirds of the recipes have (or can be made to have) a low fat content.
Nearly two-thirds of the recipes are, or can be, nut-free.
Three-quarters of the recipes are naturally oil-free, and a number of others can be made without oil.
Over two-thirds of the recipes are (or can be) sweetened with no added sugars whatsoever.

Let’s explore the book chapter by chapter, shall we?

Chapter 1: How Sweet It Is is my informative introductory chapter, containing an explanation of the benefits of raw desserts, a very detailed ingredient guide, a pantry checklist, an equipment guide, basic techniques and recipe guidelines, and more. I guarantee you’ll learn something new in this chapter!

Chapter 2: Back To Basics contains “staple recipes”: plant-based milks, butters, flours, and syrups that you can make in advance and utilize in the recipes throughout the book. (But, psst—these are completely optional! You can absolutely make the recipes in Practically Raw Desserts using storebought nondairy milks, nut and seed butters, etc.; I cover these options in Chapter 1.)

Chapter 3: One Smart Cookie contains both classic and innovative cookie varieties, from Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Russian Tea Cakes to Jam Thumbprint Cookies and Nutty Buddy Sandwiches.

Chapter 4: A Girl Walks Into a Bar… offers a variety of brownie, blondie, and bar recipes, like Tuxedo Cheesecake Brownies, Baklava Blondies, Goji Berry Granola Bars, and Marzipan Buckeye Bars.

Chapter 5: A Piece of Cake goes beyond birthday cake (though you’ll adore the Confetti Birthday Cake) with treats like German Chocolate Cake, Strawberry Shortcupcakes, Crumb-Topped Chocolate Hazelnut Torte, and Enlightened Carrot Cake (with Tangy Cream Cheese Icing).

Chapter 6: Square Root of Pie is a gorgeous collection of pies, tarts, cobblers, and crisps. Blueberry Dream Pie, Linzer Torte, Deep-Dish Caramel Apple Pie, and Summer Fruit Pizza are some of my favorites.

Chapter 7: The Proof Is In the Pudding is dedicated to all things spoonable: ice creams, puddings, and mousses. You’ll love indulging in Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding, Gelato di Avocado, Mango-Pistachio Kulfi Pops, and Dark Chocolate Sorbet this summer.

Chapter 8: Adventures in Candyland will show you how to make Cashew Butter Cups, Cocoa Crunch Clusters, Superfood Snackers, and White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Truffles, among others.

Chapter 9: To Top It All Off contains the delectable frostings, fillings, glazes, and ganaches – like Ooey Gooey Caramel Sauce, Fat-Free Chocolate Syrup, Vanilla-Coconut Crème, and Fruity Chia Jam – that you’ll use to top or fill many of the treats throughout the book.

Chapter 10: Resources gives you a comprehensive list of where to find ingredients, equipment, and educational resources for all your raw vegan pastry endeavors and needs.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg! Are you excited yet?!

Practically Raw Desserts: Flexible Recipes For All-Natural Sweets and Treats debuts April 15th, but again, is available for preorder on Amazon right now. Have you reserved your copy?