I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Author NEMO shares the basics behind baking vegan desserts in the book “Vegan Dessert Basics.”

THE SYNOPSIS

Vegan pastry has found its own routes, and they lead to results that often surpass the traditional ones. Aquafaba whips like egg white, and sometimes better. Cocoa butter crystallises with a precision that butter can only chase.

This first volume is the book of foundations: it gathers the reasons why the recipes work. Six chapters go through the raw materials that take the place of egg, butter and cream, aquafaba and plant proteins, fats and their melting points, sugars and sweeteners, plant drinks and creams, thickeners and gelling agents, powdered egg-white substitutes, and for each one they explain the technical behaviour: at what temperature it behaves how, how long it holds, when it gives way.

Those who start here will understand the volumes that follow. Those who start elsewhere will come back to this one the day they want to know why a preparation behaved the way it did.

THE REVIEW

This cookbook series entry was insightful and engaging. Vegan cooking, especially vegan baking, is an intricate, specialized style, and replicating familiar flavors and specific items requires understanding the ingredients and why they behave the way they do. The author uses clear, concise writing to analyze these products in detail and explain why they replace eggs, butter, and other non-vegan ingredients.

The book is a great starting point for understanding the foundations of vegan baking. The author explores how the ingredients replace well-known products like eggs and butter, how they react to specific temperatures, and why they mimic flavors and act as catalysts in specific recipes. Providing a solid foundation is essential for building a reference guide readers can return to time and again to understand how these recipes come together, and what to change if something doesn’t come together correctly.

THE VERDICT

Compelling, inviting, and engaging, Author Nemo‘s “Vegan Desserts Basics” is the most recent non-fiction cookbook on vegan baking. Readers will gain insights into specific ingredients, such as replacing butter with cocoa butter and similar alternatives, and an easy reference guide to help them understand future volumes in the series. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Nemo T.V. is an Italian author and culinary consultant specialising in the vegan transformation of traditional cuisine. His vision represents the intersection of Italy’s rich culinary heritage and a profound philosophy of respect for all forms of life.

At the heart of his work lies more than just flavour; it is an ethics rooted in planetary sustainability and the protection of animal welfare. Through his writing, Nemo offers a proven method for rediscovering heritage dishes through a plant-based lens, demonstrating that cooking can simultaneously be an act of love for tradition and a concrete commitment to the future of the Earth. His work invites readers to embrace a conscious lifestyle, where every ingredient is chosen for its nutritional value and its positive impact on the world around us.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/257979926