Hot Cinnamon Jelly Beans Dex+

Halloween is almost here, and my son really wants Hot Tamales. I've been thinking about that, and they are basically a hot cinnamon jelly bean, so I picked up some of this Cinnamon Oil at a local cake supply shop. After making caramel, cookies, and syrups, how hard could a jelly bean be?

Declared "As good as Hot Tamales" by an expert taster.

It only took an entire day, complete with one wholesale change of recipes and five failed attempts, resulting in three very strange bowls of gloppy gluey but fun-to-play-with "stuff", one batch of super-hard candy, and one just a little too hard. I achieved a candy that was declared "Pretty much the same as Hot Tamales, I love you Mom." :) :)

To compensate for the softness of candy made with most of the sugar replaced with dextrose, I had an ace up my sleeve.

Soft Buttery Vanilla Caramel Dex+

Caramel. Gooey, buttery, amazing caramel. What is fall, or Halloween, without it? Dex+ is all about removing fructose and adding fiber, but caramel's primary ingredient, sugar, is half fructose. I wasn't sure what I'd end up with after replacing most of the sugar with dextrose, but clearly the only option was to give it a try.

Soft, buttery vanilla caramel, Dex+

Here's what I got: a soft, sticky, buttery, amazingly delicious caramel! It is less sweet than regular caramels, which I very much prefer. What do other people think? My work friends think I should open a candy store! :)

Chocolate Malt Nougat Dex+

Halloween. The father of all sugary holidays. We also have a family birthday on that day. I've been working on how to save this special tradition without giving up on my low-fructose efforts. Sure, it's just one day, but that bag of candy that each child brings home can last over a week, and we also buy bags to pass out, usually nibbling and there are leftovers. I had a plan though. I asked the kids, what is your favorite candy? If I make that Dex+, will you trade me all your fructose-filled candy for what I make instead?

They agreed! The favorites? Twix, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, Hot Tamales, and Gummy Worms. With a lot of uncertainty, I started trying my hand at the caramel, chocolate, and nougat. Is it possible to Dex+ a candy recipe? Yes, yes it is!

For several months, I've been rotating through the list, and now the experts (kids) have declared that I am done, and should move on to the gummy candies!

Candy Burn Prevention and Preparedness

I've been working on some candy recipes. Hot candy can cause a really nasty burn; I know, because I accidentally splashed some on my arm while taking notes. Here are some tips I follow for prevention, and preparedness if a burn occurs: