Better Than Twix Dex+

These are quite a bit of work to make, and are worth every minute to make a special treat. Happily, even our party guests who knew nothing about Dex+ really loved them!

After dipping them in chocolate, I put them into the freezer for a few minutes to set the chocolate. The caramel oozed out some, and my dipping job was far from perfect. Funny though, no one said a word about how they looked. They were too busy eating! :)

Ganache Dex+: It's fondue, it's icing, it's fudge sauce; it's tasty!

This is some seriously good and easy-to-make stuff, if the ingredients are in the pantry. We served this at our Halloween fest, with shortbread cookies, strawberries, and other tasty things to dip in it. Two quarts of strawberries disappeared pretty quickly! 

It takes a long time to set, giving plenty of time to use it as cake icing, like Julia Child did with her "Mocha Brownie Cake". Mmmm, must make a Dex+ version of that soon. Ganache is also the best fudge sauce ever. You know what else could be done with it? Truffles! I may try that for my Thanksgiving guests. Let it set completely, then scoop it with a melon baller, and roll in cocoa powder, maybe with cinnamon, or maybe dip in chocolate. Good thing I'm too full to eat anything right now....

Chocolate Bars and Coating Dex+

Chocolate. King of candy, vital for candy bars, and has a magical snap and sheen. How, then, does a mere mortal sweeten an unsweetened chocolate bar, without ruining the magic? Very carefully. :)

This Dex+ chocolate has a great snap, and is shiny, with a deep dark chocolate taste. It is very thick, even when melted. When using it as a coating, I use a knife or the edge of the pot to swipe off part of the chocolate, otherwise the coat is too thick.

Mix in Rice Krispies and peanuts for a tasty treat!

I tried several methods before finding what really works, including using cocoa powder instead of chocolate bars, and adding cream and sugar. Adding any liquids tends to produce tootsie rolls instead of chocolate. The best way I found was to use Ghirardelli 60% and 100% chocolate bars.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Dex+

Today, I hit a home run! This is perhaps my eighth try at a Dex+ chocolate chip cookie. We have high standards for this, our favorite cookie. To be right, the cookie needs to have the signature buttery, caramel flavor. The texture is not cakey; rather it is crisp at the edges while lightly chewy in the center.

Chocolate Ice Cream Dex+

Honestly, we don't always eat sweets. A pan of oiled and salted veggies roasted until tender are really good, as are many other naturally low fructose and higher fiber foods that don't require any adjustments to be Dex+.

When you want chocolate ice cream (left), this pan of delicious vegetables (right) just doesn't satisfy.

However, when on the way home from a football game with a hot, tired, triumphant marching band member, a potato just doesn't do the trick. The request is "Please, please, can't we have ice cream? There's a shop right there on the way home..." Last year I was ready; with an ice cream cylinder in the freezer, and Greek yogurt in the fridge, frozen yogurt was just a few minutes away at home. 

Then here it comes, "Mom, I want chocolate this time, and tangy yogurt doesn't go with chocolate....."

No one says "Easy as Brownies"

How is it that most things are better home-made from scratch, except brownies? I've had a hard time ever finding a recipe that really beats a good box mix; equal, yes, but not really better. Maybe I'm alone in this, I don't know. Well, sometimes you just need a brownie, so I've been trying to make a Dex+ version. I think this is about try #7. While these have not met my standards of brownie perfection, they definitely satisfy that "I really need a brownie" feeling.

Mousse au Chocolat Dex+, in progress

This is my third attempt at a Dex+ version of my mom's Mousse au Chocolat recipe. It came out very rich, thick, and tasty. The chocolate and egg yolk mixture was a bit too thick though; I had to stopped folding to prevent deflating the egg whites before the mixture was smooth. That left soft chocolate pockets that were actually enjoyable, if not true to the recipe standard.

I topped it with whipped cream, flavored with a little dextrose, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. They looked elegant in the Margarita glasses. After a steak dinner, the portion size was actually a bit large. Next time I'll reduce the size, and adjust the thickness to get a smoother mousse. But, we sure did enjoy it.

European-Style Hot Chocolate Dex+

I'm so pleased! My daughter went to Hamacon last night, and got hot chocolate. Now, here's the awesome part: she said it tasted so weak and sickly sweet that she had to give it away! She also couldn't drink the Dr Pepper! My scheme is working; my children don't like fructose-laden foods any more. Of course this also means that her friends think our "sweets" aren't sweet enough... I may need to add extra sweeteners when they visit.

In her honor, I wanted to make some real hot chocolate. I've had Jacques Torres' hot chocolate on Valantine's before (hugs to my DH); it's delicious, rich and thick. If I could Dex+ that, wow! But he doesn't share his recipe; hmmm.

Chocolate Syrup Dex+

Chocolate milk, hold (most of) the fructose please! Coming right up...  Have you found a bag of dextrose and made that simple syrup dex+ yet? If so, go get your Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder, salt and vanilla, and whip up a batch. It'll only take a few minutes, and it is really impressively tasty. 

 

 I wish they sold this kind of chocolate milk to the kids at school!