Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener

231 Pages·2008·2.12 MB·English

by  Ania Catalano

Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano
Photography © 2008 by Lara Hata All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the
Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
Celestial Arts and the Celestial Arts colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc Library of Congress
Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with publisher eISBN: 978-1-58761382-1
Cover and text design by Robin Terra | terra studio
Food and prop styling by George Dolese
Photography assistant: Ha Huynh
Food stylist assistant: Elizabet de Nederlanden
v3.1
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE TWO LOVES OF MY LIFE—MY HUSBAND, JOE, AND OUR DAUGHTER, SOFIA (OUR
LITTLE MIRACLE).

Contents
Introduction
Muffins, Tea Breads, and Breakfast Dishes
Spicy Pumpkin Muffins
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Orange Pecan Granola
Zucchini Date Muffins
Sunrise Carrot Muffins
Quinoa Corn Blueberry Muffins
Power Bran Muffins
Stuffed French Toast with Caramelized Cinnamon Apples
Whole Wheat Crêpes with Strawberries and Cream
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Sticky Buns
Wild Rice, Walnut, and Cranberry Tea Bread
Banana Date Bread
Cookies and Bars
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Holiday Gingerbread Cookies
Chunky Cherry Almond Chip Cookies
Raspberry Linzer Torte Cookies
PB&J Cookies
Vanilla Crisps
Oat ’n’ Maple Cream Sandwich Cookies
Chewy Double-Chocolate Meringue Cookies
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Almond Meringue Cookies with Chocolate Orange Ganache Filling
Cranberry Oat Jumbles
Zucchini Pecan Drops
Cinnamon Apple Crumb Bars
Apricot Butter Bars
Pecan Pie Squares
Fluffy Lemon Bars
Crispy Brown Rice and Cashew Treats
Ultimate Fudgy Brownies
The Amazing Black Bean Brownies
Chocolate Raspberry Macaroon Bars
Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars
Date Nut Squares
Peanut Butter Energy Bars
Cakes and Cupcakes
Vanilla Sponge Cake with Mango Custard Filling
Golden Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
Dark Chocolate Cake
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Fudgy Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse–Filled Cupcakes
Mocha Hazelnut Cake
Carrot Cake
Peach Melba Cake
Banana Daiquiri Cake
Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Crème Topping
Lemon Chiffon Cake
Hopsie’s Cupcakes
Spiced Pumpkin Apple Cupcakes
Strawberry Shortcakes
Creamy Strawberry Cheesecake
Dairy-Free Blueberry Cheesecake
Pies, Tarts, and Crisps
Spiced Pumpkin Date Pie
Coconut Custard Pie
Banana Cream Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Guilt-Free Shredded Apple Pie
Blueberry Pie with Almond Crumb Topping
All-American Apple Pie
Chocolate Almond Silk Pie
Maple Pecan Tart
Caramel Macadamia Nut Tart
French Pear Frangipane Tarte
Fresh Fruit Tart
Sweet Pastry Crust
No-Fail Piecrust
Oat Pastry Piecrust
Nut Pastry Crust
Apple Walnut Crumble
Summer Berry Peach Cobbler
Ice Creams, Frozen Yogurts, and Sorbets
Sinfully Rich Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Soy Vanilla Ice Cream
Skinny Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt
Strawberry Ice Cream
Chocolate Tofu Ice Cream
Chocolate Gelato
Watermelon Sorbet
Raspberry Sorbet
Toasted Almond Amaretto Ice Cream
Pistachio Ice Cream
Special Treats
Tropical Rice Pudding
Compote of Pears in Spiced Port
Grilled Peaches with Caramelized Brandy Pecan Sauce
Bananas Flambé over Crêpes
Agave Margarita
Frozen Margarita Pie
Chocolate Soufflé
Individual Orange Soufflés with Grand Marnier Crème Anglaise
Light Chocolate Mousse
Prune Armagnac Truffles
Hazelnut Truffles
Frostings, Fillings, and Sauces
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Vanilla Crème Anglaise
Fat-Free Vanilla Yogurt Frosting
Hot Fudge Sauce
Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Vegan Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Milk Chocolate Frosting
Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Agave Nectar Whipped Cream
Orange Crème Filling
Chocolate Tofu Crème
Lemon Tofu Crème
Sweet Cherry Filling
Pineapple Cake Filling
Hot Buttered Rum Sauce
Raspberry Sauce
Glossary of Ingredients
Sources
Index
Introduction
My introduction to natural foods took place about twenty years ago
when I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia. At the time, it felt like I had
two jobs—working full-time as an interior designer and working the rest
of the time trying to figure out what, when, and how to eat in order to
feel healthy. I always enjoyed good food, frequented gourmet
restaurants, traveled, and loved to cook, yet suddenly I was forced to
make a change in my diet in order to improve my health, especially
since diabetes was prevalent in my family. I began to explore the world
of whole foods, experimenting with them and using them to replace the
refined foods in my diet.
Needless to say, it changed my life. I began to feel great, had endless
energy, and finally felt satisfied when I ate, all due to replacing refined
ingredients with whole, natural foods. So great was my newfound
passion that I became a whole foods chef, first enrolling in the Natural
Gourmet School of Cooking in New York, and then opening Sprouts
Natural Foods Market & Café in Trumbull, Connecticut, in 1989.
Being totally immersed in the natural foods business and having
hypoglycemia, I was always on the lookout for new and improved
sweeteners to use in preparing desserts and other baked goods. In the
mid-1990s, I discovered agave nectar. Of all the sweeteners I had ever
used—Sucanat, brown rice syrup, barley malt, honey, maple syrup, date
sugar, fruit concentrates, and stevia—agave nectar was the only
sweetener that had no shortcomings. While some sweeteners were great
tasting, they were off limits to me because they were refined and spiked
my blood sugar levels. Other sugar alternatives were better from a
health perspective (i.e., lower glycemic index), but either the taste or
texture when prepared in foods was lacking. And then came agave. It
was low-glycemic, delicious, easy to use, and best of all I felt great after
eating it. I did not experience the symptoms of sugar rush, like