Review, Giveaway, & Blondies: Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats
April 3, 2014
in Chocolate · Cookies and Bars · Desserts · Gluten-Free · Reviews & Giveaways
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GF Blondies with Roots An Unrefined Vegan

First things first: thank you all for your sweet words and support.  I was feeling like a major heel for canceling the May Potluck, but I needn’t have worried.  Big virtual hugs to one and all!  Okay, giveaway time!

No gluten.
No eggs.
No dairy.
No soy.
No sugar.
No nuts.

What?!  What kind of “treats” could one possibly make without any of those ingredients? How about muffins, brownies, cookies and bars, cupcakes, donuts and breads?  Sounds good to me!

Although I don’t have food allergies, I do avoid refined sugars and flours, so I was very eager to dive into Debbie Adler’s dessert cookbook to see how she made such scrumptious goodies.  Here’s the quick backstory: Fourteen years ago, Debbie opened up her bakery, Sweet Debbie’s Organic Cupcakes, in Los Angeles and offered those lucky Southern Californians delectable baked goods without refined sugars.  A couple of years later, she made further adjustments to her treats because of her son’s life-threatening food allergies.  Taking pity on those of us who don’t live in L.A., Debbie wrote a cookbook so that we can create her organic, unrefined, allergy-free desserts in our own kitchens.  If you’re new to allergy-free baking, you will need to stock your pantry with some different items such as coconut nectar, guar gum, all-purpose gluten-free baking mix (Debbie provides her recipe), stevia, etc.  With just a few adjustments you’re ready to preheat the oven!

To see for yourself, pick up a copy of Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats: Allergy-Free & Vegan Recipes from the Famous Los Angeles Bakery or enter below for a chance to win one.  This giveaway runs through midnight (U.S. Central Time) April 10 and is open to those in the U.S.  Thanks to Debbie Adler and Harlequin for providing me with review and giveaway copies.

Sweet Debbie's Cover

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Blondies with Roots

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  • Author: Debbie Adler
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 900
  • Total Time: 30
  • Yield: 16 1x
Print Recipe

Description

If you highlight your locks, like I do, you will especially appreciate this platinum pixie snack with its chic chocolate chip roots and sophisticated spices of coriander and cardamom. Cardamom is rich in vitamin C and riboflavin, and is considered beneficial to kidneys and bladder. Coriander is high in potassium and calcium, as well, and aids in digestion. And after your first bite, I’m sure you’ll agree that blondies are more fun! – Debbie

Ingredients

Scale
  • Grapeseed oil, for greasing the pan
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
  • 3/4 tsp. sodium-free baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp.coriander powder
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. guar gum
  • 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened plain rice milk
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut nectar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. stevia powder
  • 1 cup (vegan, stevia-sweetened) chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease a 8″ x 8″ square baking pan with grapeseed oil.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, coriander, cardamom, baking soda, guar gum, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle.
  3. Add the rice milk, grapeseed oil, coconut nectar, vanilla, and stevia and stir to combine. Fold in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
  4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth down with a wet baking spatula or the back of a wet spoon. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
  5. Bake the blondes for 15 to 16 minutes, or until the batter turns a light golden brown and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
  6. Transfer the pan from the oven to a wire rack and let sit for about 20 minutes before cutting the blondes into 16 squares.
  7. Keep in an air-tight container for up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 16
  • Calories: 147
  • Sugar: 6
  • Sodium: 69
  • Fat: 8
  • Saturated Fat: 3
  • Unsaturated Fat: 4
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 16
  • Protein: 2
  • Cholesterol: 2

Did you make this recipe?

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Recipe shared with permission from Debbie Adler and Harlequin.

This post contains affiliate links.  For more information, visit Legal Stuff.

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48 thoughts on “Review, Giveaway, & Blondies: Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats”

  1. tearoomdelights

    Hard to believe all those treats are made the way they are, they look so rich and decadent. Your photographs are stunning and the cover of that book looks amazing. You must have a lot of cookbooks, Annie.

    Reply ↓
    1. An Unrefined Vegan Post author

      Lorna, it’s kind of embarrassing. I collect cookbooks the way I used to collect shoes!

      Reply ↓
  2. Deb

    So many combo flavor favorites! I have to go with the chocolate/ nut butter combination though; if it is on a menu, I will choose it over anything elsr.

    Reply ↓
  7. Laura

    WOW, these look great! I love blondies and these are perfect for sharing with my vegan, nut allergic friend, who is currently studying for her exams. I bet shell love them!

    Im also following your amazing vegan and raw boards on pinterest now. Great stuff there! 🙂

    Oh and my fav cupcake combination is banana pb with a streusel oat topping.

    Reply ↓
    1. An Unrefined Vegan Post author

      Oh, yum! That sounds like an incredible combination, Laura!

      Thanks for entering the giveaway and for following me on Pinterest!

      Reply ↓
  12. Lydia Claire

    A strawberry cupcake with vanilla frosting! Am I supposed to leave a separate comment that I subscribe to your blog by email?

    Reply ↓
  18. Poppy

    They look so good. Love the use of the spices in the blondies that’s so fun! And I have now a new mission to find some stevia sweetened chocolate chips! How cool!

    Reply ↓
  21. RG

    My fave combo would have to be chocolate and coconuts. Yum. THanks so much for holding this giveaway. Also, I can’t wait to tell my former boss about this book, she’s allergic to almost everything so this would be music to her ears.

    Reply ↓

  25. Pingback: Giveaways April 8 | Vegan Perks

  28. Pingback: Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats Giveaway and Review

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