I would like to talk to you today my friends about one of my favourite vegan cookbooks. The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks’ Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. This was one of those books that I’d been eyeing when I’d peruse the cookbooks on various websites, but as is often the case, the international shipping would have been as expensive as the book itself! I managed to pick it up during my summer vacation to the US and I couldn’t be a more satisfied customer.
Jam-Filled Oat Bran Muffins
This is the most comprehensive “baking” book I’ve ever owned. It reminds me so much of the copy of the Better Home and Gardens baking book stationed next to the sugar canister and the oven during my childhood. Weighing somewhere around 15lbs, this huge tomb was my mother’s go to cookbook when she had a question or wanted to try to incorporate something new in her baking – that is how I would describe Joy of Baking. There is such an amazing collection of recipes here : your basic cookies, cakes, bars, cobblers and crisps, but it goes above and beyond with recipes like “Butterscotch Pudding” (and chocolate, and baked pumpkin), “Rugelach”, “Caramel Popcorn”, a huge choice of pie crusts (including raw!), sorbets, smoothies, Naan, pies, cheese cakes, cupcakes, frostings, sauces, waffels, biscuits, pancakes…the list is seemingly sans fin. Oh, and it is visually beautiful as well : loaded with glossy pages and lovely photographs.
Filled with homemade apricot jam…
Patrick-Goudreau’s introduction is engaging and informative, both for the veteran vegan and the vegan-curious, she’s included a fantastic section entitled : “The How-to’s and What-nots of Vegan Baking” with invaluable suggestions for subbing and switching up more traditional (and more cruel) ingredients. There is also a comprehensive appendix section with information on yields and equivalents, pan substitutes, a glossary, celebrational and seasonal suggestions… whew!
Cookie Model “Guppy” with Sugar Cookies, ready for the oven…
I have made so many things from this book, it’s crazy! Some of our favourites are the “Sugar Cookie” and “Royal Icing” recipes, the “Pastry Cream” (custard) and “Vanilla Cupcakes” (which makes a perfect white cake) are also amongst our favourites.
“Look What I Made!”
Guppy was snubbing my orange pumpkins for pink & blue sprinkles…
There are so many recipes in this book that it will take me a lifetime to go through them all, and that’s what I love about it! These recipes will accompany my family for years to come!
I’d also like to say that it is through her cookbook that I have come to appreciate Ms. Patrick-Goudreau and her advocacy efforts. I’ve become a regular listener to her podcasts at Vegetarian Food For Thought, and am thrilled to have such an articulate and cultivated person fighting for the animals. Her podcasts are always thoughtful and thought-provoking, and I especially love that she highlights short fiction which has a lien or link to animals and animal rights. You can learn more about her by visiting Compassionate Cooks.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Musings From The Fishbowl 
i love that cookbook as well! my only complaint is that it calls for a lot of ener-g, which may be a put off for when non-vegans ask for the recipe. i think it is good to show that we don’t need an “egg replacer” to make recipes vegan, because to omni’s it makes them just go ahead and use the eggs. anyway, it is a great cookbook and your sugar cookie pumpkins are too cute! i just made some yesterday but had a horrible disaster..didn’t grease my cookie pan and they stuck! ah well! i will know better for when i make them for christmas!
Your daughter is the best cookie tray holder! Too cute! The Joy of Vegan Baking hasn’t been my favorite buy, but it is a great base book for baking experiments!
Your little Guppy is the cutest! She looks so proud of all her pretty cookies! Banana chocolate chip muffins! YAY!
I absolutely agree with you on that book. I love the recipes and all the information it provides.
Oooh, sounds like a great cookbook!!! And aww, Guppy is so cute 🙂
Such lovely baked goodness.
This book has been on my wish list for a while. I know Santa is aware of me wanting it and I have been a very good girl….so fingers crossed.
Nice Cookies – I would have SO used pink and blue sprinkles too. Guppy is kewl!
This book is definitely on my Xmas list. It was on my birthday list, but nobody bought it for me (…I did get other cool stuff instead…). So I’m bringing it back up for Xmas. I love all the cool color pictures….I often drool over them in the bookstore.
I haven’t used this cookbook nearly enough. Your muffin photo alone is about to change that.
Aww aww aww, Guppy is adorable! Need a babysitter?
awesome post! thanks for the review… i’ve thought about getting this book a few times, but haven’t because i didn’t really know what it entailed. since it’s so versatile, i will have to give it a go! also, your guppy is adorable. i love that she used pink and blue sprinkles on her pumpkin cookies 🙂
I don’t give this cookbook nearly the attention it deserves!! Thanks for reminding me to use it… Colleen has great recipes and is such an amazing animal advocate with her podcasts!
I love love love that cookbook. I have had to work with it a bit as I am at a high altitude, but it has never failed me!
Thank you for this recommendation … it’s especially helpful to new vegans. When I became vegan, baking was the hardest thing for me … it seemed that almost every recipe I came across included milk and eggs … and the ones that didn’t were kinda like eating sawdust. This book will be so helpful to the “newbies”.
BTW … Very adorable picture of little “Chef Guppy”!!
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your post makes me really want this cookbook, Shelly! i’m definitely putting it on my wish list for christmas! it sounds like a wonderful resource for baking (and i could learn more about baking because it kinda intimidates me) and a fantastic book, judging from all the delicious treats you’ve been making – it’s something i should own, for sure! thanks for the review! Guppy is just too cute, and those jam-filled oatbran muffins. yeah, they’re AMAZING, fo ‘sho!