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.

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!

Waffle of Insane Greatness Dex+

These waffles really are great! The outside had a crispy crunch, inside was creamy, overall they were light and wonderful. The first waffle was actually a tad lighter brown than the rest, but was still good. They were flavorful and delicious. Butter, a light dusting of dextrose, a drizzle of Maple Syrup Dex+, and maybe a handful of fresh berries... mmm... One Dex+ waffle will leave you happy until lunch time, if not later.

(Left) Waffle topped with dextrose and Maple Syrup Dex+, and (Right) a waffle sandwich, with ham, smoked gouda, and Jam Dex+ 

The recipe is also pretty simple, not requiring anything fancy like separating eggs and beating the whites. Between this and the pancake recipe I found earlier, we will not be buying any more mix. Allow any extra waffles to cool, then wrap, freeze, and reheat in the toaster. If we don't have buttermilk, we make Good Old-Fashioned Pancakes instead; substitutes aren't worth the effort.

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.

Trifecta: Fiber is a beautiful thing!

What is beautiful about fiber? With Benefiber or similar, I can add a spoonful of powder to anything liquid. It becomes invisible, doesn't thicken, and has only the barest hint of taste in straight water. It disappears in my food.

Fiber in a blue glass jar.

Lemon Lime Soda Dex+

Sweetened drinks. They are everywhere. We all love them. When I talk about Dex+, I see the pained look on faces after I mention not drinking sweet drinks, whether sugared, natural juices, or artificially sweetened. The kids struggle with it too. 

We have a Soda Stream, and Simple Syrup Dex+. I've tried to re-create Dr Pepper, and so far failed. Colas are mysterious. Then it struck me: lemon lime soda. We usually have both. How hard can it be? Turns out, not very!

Of cabbages and kings... Cashews, BP, maple syrup, et all

I've been pretty busy lately, dabbling with multiple things. I've made a Dex+ ketchup, which my daughter says tastes too much like tomatoes (?!); it does need a bit more zing. Not ready for prime-time yet, but it's promising. It tasted better warm than it did after chilling down. I'm close on some other new recipes too; wish there was more time in the day!

A montage of thoughts...