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....

Shortbread Cookies Dex+

This is a nice, plain, crumbly, not-too-sweet Dex+ shortbread cookie. I used these on Halloween to dip in caramel and chocolate fondue. They also work well for making a home-made version of Twix. To get the crispest, "short-est" cookie, the dextrose (technically dextrose monohydrate) is baked first to drive off the water, changing it to anhydrous dextrose. 

Because most of the flavor comes from the browning of butter, consider using a high-quality imported butter.

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.

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.

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....."

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!

Controlling Fructose: Yep, I got it! Dex+

Took me a while to notice there was a second "Bitter Truth" video: 

Fat Chance: Fructose 2.0

I watched it to see if I'd missed anything, or gotten anything wrong. There is new info, and it tracks with what I've been experiencing (happy!). TL;DR: Here's my take on 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.

Lessons Learned: Dex+

Look at my beautiful weight chart!

My weight chart, starting from the beginning of Dex+; each line is a pound.

Last August, I discovered "The bitter truth" about fructose. That day, I started my mission to control fructose.  I also started telling my kids all about what I had learned. They clearly found my enthusiasm humorous, but they also appreciate my quirks and determination. And they like my cooking; if reducing fructose means more tasty food experiments, where's the down side?

Berries and Vanilla Yogurt Dex+

We wanted some dessert, so I added a little Simple Syrup Dex+ and vanilla to some yogurt, and poured it over some fresh blueberries. Perfect! I love it when berries are in season.

Blueberry or Strawberry Jam Dex++

Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, these are very nutritious and healthy to eat. What a shame that all the jars of jam at the grocery are sweetened with extra doses of fructose without the fiber to balance. It's not hard to do, especially with a bread machine that has a "jam" cycle. That's right, my Zojirushi bread machine. For more on fructose and Dex+, see the tabs, above.

I'm sure this could be made on the stove; I tried once, and was disappointed. Apparently they mean it when they warn about not over-stirring tapioca. If I didn't have the Zo, I'd probably try different thickeners that are easier to handle, but keep the rest of the recipe.

How does it taste? Well, like intense blueberries. Nice, clean, bold solid flavor. Same for strawberries. My daughter says it's way better than regular jam. It's a little less thick than store-bought jam, which makes it easier to spread, and it can also be used as a topping.

 

Blueberry preserves, left, and strawberry jam, right. Blackberries would be good too, or maybe a blend.

Doughnut Muffins Dex+

Breakfast food can be delicious, especially something sweet. I thought I'd give muffins a try, and I've made the regular version of these before. They're called doughnut muffins because the nutmeg and cinnamon make them taste a bit like doughnuts. I love doughnuts, but I don't love the hassle of frying them. Muffins are a lot easier.

A dozen warm Doughnut Muffins Dex+

Here is my Dex+ version of King Arthur Flour’s doughnut muffin recipe. My family all liked them a lot.

Sweet Iced Tea Dex+

makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 10 single tea bags
• 300 g Simple Syrup Dex+
• ½ pinch citric acid, or small squeeze of lemon (optional)*

Instructions:

1. Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Pour over tea bags and steep for 3 min, then remove and discard tea bags.
2. Stir in the syrup. Add cold water to make two quarts. Stir in citric acid or lemon, if you want.

*The lemon can easily overpower the tea, as the syrup is not as intensely sweet as traditional syrup. Use caution.

More about Dex+ here.

Sugar and Cinnamon Sugar Dex+

This sugar blend is a good replacement for white sugar on your morning bowl of cereal, or on a tart pink grapefruit. You won't notice the fiber, and the sweetness is very similar.

You may also like a jar of cinnamon sugar. It's great for making cinnamon toast, and we like it on the Frozen Yogurt Dex+ too.

I have tried a variety of cinnamons, from Penzeys Spices: Korintje, China Cassia, Vietnamese, and Ceylon. Whichever kind you get, fresher cinnamon has a stronger, better flavor. Korintje is the "grocery" variety. Vietnamese has the same taste but is much stronger and better. Ceylon is the only "true" cinnamon, and reminds me of red-hots candy; not that it is hot, it's just a different note. I actually like a blend of Vietnamese and Ceylon.

Frozen Yogurt Dex+

 I really want some ice cream that isn't filled with fructose. No, actually, what I really want is an easy ice cream that I can whip up when my kids are begging for milk shakes or ice cream out somewhere. Like tonight. So, how about frozen yogurt?

Turns out all it takes is some Simple Syrup Dex+, some whole-milk Greek yogurt, and an ice cream maker cylinder in your freezer. It's really a breeze to freeze some up! It fills my two quart ice cream maker about half way, and makes the perfect amount for five bowls of yum. (More about Dex+)

And YUM it is! The kids love it, and so do we. It has a nice tangy taste, which makes me think of cheesecake ice cream.

Simple Syrup Dex+

Traditional simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water, combined and boiled long enough to dissolve the sugar completely. It can be used to sweeten tea, coffee, and to make your own Soda Stream syrups. My version of simple syrup tastes about the same as the traditional, and yet has a lot less fructose. Mine also has fiber added to create a fructose to fiber ratio like that found naturally in blueberries. I have added "Dex+" to the names of my "fiber balanced" recipes. It's been very useful in my personal campaign against fructose.

Taking control of Fructose: The Bitter Truth

I have a sweet tooth, and I don't want to fight it. When we deny our food desires, we usually fail. But that doesn't mean we have to give in and eat poorly!

I'm taking control of the fructose in my diet. I watched this video, and although it's long and science-y/ doctor-y, I understood enough to get angry about all the fructose in my food. Health alone was enough to put me on this path, rather than the usual reasons that push one to change one's eating habits.

Here's the TL;DR version, in case the video is too long for you to watch: