Book Review: Sweet & Savory Fat Bombs + Giveaway

My blogger friend Martina Slajerova, who is running KetoDiet blog, has become famous with her numerous fat bomb recipes. This guest post here on my blog almost instantly went viral. No wonder, who could resist the scrumptious flavor of strawberry cheesecake which this fat bomb variation so deliciously resembles.

Besides her excellent KetoDietApp, Martina has written a few cookbooks, “Sweet & Savory Fat Bombs – 100 Delicious Treats for Fat Fasts, Ketogenic, Paleo, and Low-Carb Diets” being her newest creation. I was lucky to get one copy for review purposes. Already the cover is mouth-watering: several fat bombs featured in a lovely photo.

For those who are not familiar with the concept of fat bombs, the book gives a concise introduction. Also the ingredients used to prepare fat bombs are clearly described and explained. The book contains recipes for some essential basic ingredients, too, from Chocolate-Hazelnut Butter and Almond and Cashew Butter to fancier Eggnog-Macadamia Butter to Spiced Maple and Pecan Butter. There are also recipes for homemade dark and white chocolate.

Often, fat bombs are considered sweet creations. However, personally, I often crave something savory and salty. Therefore, I’m happy to notice the book includes several savory fat bomb recipes as well. Pepperoni Pizza Fat Bombs, Waldorf Salad Fat Bombs — you name a dish and it’s certain Martina has created a fat bomb version out of it!

To my surprise, there are many liquid fat bomb recipes as well. I’m a huge fan of keto smoothies and often make those myself, so it’s great to find recipes for further ideas. I will definitely try Raspberry and Vanilla Smoothie and as an ultimate pumpkin pie fan, the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie.

Fat bomb recipe from the book

For this review, I wanted to choose and prepare one recipe from the book. Now, how difficult is that task considering the whole book is full of fantastic fat bomb recipes?! I skimmed through the book, trying to decide which of the delicious-looking recipes to choose. I really loved those professional, mouth-watering photos Martina has taken, they really added to the polished, professional look of the book.

Finally, as a great fan of the orange flavor, I chose the recipe for Quick Orange Fat Bombs. Orange is a wonderful-tasting fruit, but too high in carbs for a ketogenic diet. Because I really like orange, several years ago, I found a way to get the full orange flavor in low-carb food and drinks with grated orange peel. Moreover, orange peel gives a more elegant and multi-dimensional orange flavor than just orange juice, which in turn gives a somewhat “flat”, though juicy, orange flavor. Nowadays, I use a drop or two of 100% orange essential oil as an alternative. That is a great option if you want to have a smooth result without those tiny pieces of orange peel. Here, in her Quick Orange Fat Bomb recipe, Martina uses the grated orange peel to give that elegant, fruity orange flavor. Alternatively, you can use sugar-free orange extract.

The recipe for Quick Orange Fat Bombs sounded perfect: it was easy to make and had only 5 ingredients. As an optional ingredient, you can add liquid stevia if you need more sweetness. I’ve tried to wean myself off from overly sweet flavors, so I was sure the fat bombs would taste sweet and delicious enough with no additional stevia. The recipe had powdered erythritol as a sweetener, so I was sure that gave enough sweetness. Nowadays, I find it easier to make powdered erythritol myself. With a high-speed blender and an appropriate jar, you’ll get perfect, finely powdered erythritol in less than a minute.

I had to order the coconut butter the recipe called for, which took a couple of weeks. Believe or not, ordering from the other side of the world became cheaper than buying the coconut butter from the local health food store.

For the fat bombs, I also needed silicone candy molds. Well, you can also use mini muffin cups, but silicone candy molds are really handy and to be honest, really cute. They come in so many sizes and shapes that you cannot imagine. As I love to collect cooking stuff, such as molds, pans, cookie cutters, anything, I have a huge collection of silicone candy molds as well. Stars, hearts, squares, half spheres, or fancy shapes. Every time I see a new mold I buy it! (Should I feel guilty now…?)

Finally, I got all my ingredients — including the mold — and prepared the recipe.

First, I added the coconut butter and the coconut oil in a saucepan…

… and melted them over a very low heat (140 °F = 60 °C).

Then, I added the orange peel and powdered erythritol.

I mixed the mixture well to combine everything.

Nice and smooth.

Next, I took a star-shaped silicone candy mold and filled it with the mixture.

A final touch of finely grated very dark chocolate (I used 90% Lindt).

And then to the fridge for an hour. Ready! Oh my gosh, these look delicious! And now a bite… I think I’m in heaven! I love the combination of crunchy chocolate chips and fruity orange. This recipe is a winner!

I did some further experiments. I bet if I added some vanilla extract, it would give a hint of white chocolate taste. So, I had to try it out. For one batch, instead of orange peel, I used 3 drops of 100% orange essential oil and added 1 teaspoon organic, alcohol-free vanilla extract for a delicious vanilla flavor.

Another experiment I made with turmeric. Since turmeric has some “super powers”, i.e. it has an amazing ability to heal different ailments, I added 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric to one batch. I naturally was after the yellow color, too, which was a perfect addition to this orange-flavored fat bomb recipe.