Review: Holidays are here, but unfurrow your brow: SWEETS you can eat!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 9, 2013
Revital Federbush is Santa Claus!  Not that her healthy low caloric non-fattening sweets are for the holidays only (they can easily be enjoyed year round), but coming out right now with a book that can maintain that wonderful everybody-in-the-kitchen tradition for creating special goodies for Christmas etc, down goes the guilt of holiday gluttony and up go the hurrahs for Revital Federbush.Anyone who can open a book with a confessional has to be respected, and Federbush offers the following: ‘My biggest weakness in life is my love and craving for all kinds of sweets- muffins, cookies, cupcakes – you name it. The problem is that I don’t like being fat or going to the gym that much, either. Ever since I can remember, my dream was to create a cookbook for people like me. I started to invent treat recipes that were tasty and of sufficient size (for example, a standard-sized muffin or two large cookies) and had up to 160 calories so everyone can eat them without gaining weight. All of these treats are as sweet and as tasty as your ordinary desserts. Also, there is no use of artificial sweeteners or any other substitutes. All of the ingredients are natural and healthy. All the recipes in this book have been tested on children as well as adults. Only recipes that children liked were included in the book. ‘It’s like regular cake, with real sugar, no artificial sweeteners, and only natural ingredients. The entire secret of how to bake delicious cakes with Greek yogurt and applesauce instead of oil: the most fattening ingredient of a cake is the fat!’So off we go on a splendidly illustrated book of recipes of guilt-free sweets divided into Fast, No Bake Desserts (trifle, yogurt pancakes, Tiramisu, Chocolate Rice Krispy treats), and then designates each section of recipes (with great photos of the end product) in main ingredient (major temptation!) such as Chocolate, Berries, Apple Bananas Plums, Hazelnuts Almond Raisins, Cheese, Oranges lemons pumpkin, and Vanilla. Within each of these categories she shares many recipes – all 160 calories or less – with a list of ingredients, how to prepare and how to cook (if needed) in the most masterful manner. She offers information, personal anecdotes, fabulous recipes, and even a gift – a recipe for a European torte cupcake with whipped cream – total calories 152!This is a difficult book to read - not for any aspect of the way it is so beautifully presented, but because reading it makes you want to rush out to the kitchen and try one of these drool at the corners of the mouth treats. Holidays, COME ON DOWN! Grady Harp, December 13