How To Make Carob Candy Bars and Nut Clusters

I've tried to find carob candies in health food stores and diet sections of the grocery store to no avail, so I've resorted to making my own. The best thing about doing this is that you get exactly what you like! Today I'm just doing candy bars and nut clusters but at Christmas time I'll do some filled "chocolates". Here we go!

It all starts with a bag of Sunspire brand Carob Chips which I buy by the case from Amazon because my store no longer carries carob chips without milk and over-refined sugar, and the price is good.
Empty one 10 oz. bag of chips into a glass bowl with high sides or a large glass measuring cup. Using glass will help protect the carob from becoming too hot.
Add 1 1/2T. Coconut Oil
And 1/2t. Vanilla Flavoring or Peppermint, etc. (does not need to be oil-based)
Sweeten to taste if desired with 1 packet Xylitol or Stevia
Set into another bowl with medium hot tap water, not boiling. Remember that getting carob too hot will cause it to become stiff and chewy so warm only enough to gently melt carob. Stirring will help the chips melt with less heat and will blend in the other ingredients. Once the chips are melted and you're into your candy making, don't add more chips. Remelting means reheating, so wait until you use up what you've already melted and then start again with more chips. This melted carob can be used over ice cream like magic shell, or proceed to make candy bars.

Spoon a little of the melted carob into a chocolate mold. They have some that are meant specifically for candy bars or use whatever shapes you like! Tap the mold on the table lightly to remove air bubbles and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Remove the mold from the freezer and gently loosen the hardened carob. When inverting onto the foil, catch the candy bar and set it down to keep it from breaking. It will be brittle.
If you want to divide the bar, wait until it warms to room temperature. Using a straight edged sharp knife, carefully cut the bar. If you are going to store the candy to serve later, wrap in foil and keep in a cool place or in the refrigerator.
If you are making nut clusters simply drop nuts into melted carob and stir to coat the nuts. I used roasted and salted peanuts. Drop by spoonfuls into candy cups or onto waxed paper. Cool and harden in the fridge or freezer. Store in covered container.
Now, when everyone is having a sweet treat, you can have one too! Or, you can share your goodies with your friends and family, helping them to learn to enjoy something a little healthier.
PS. If the carob turns grey it is only from being cold. Simply let it warm or you can use a blow dryer to warm it and it will brown right up! And by the way, chocolate does the same thing and can be fixed the same way, too :)

How-To Freeze Ice Cream In A Plastic Bag

Summer is coming fast and some days our weather here is already in the high 80's. Strawberries are in full swing at the fruit stands, too, and it's time for a good strawberry ice cream recipe. This freezing method is great for Family Night or as a party activity for the kids.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

Blend in blender:

3 Egg Yolks
2C. Coconut Milk or Milk of Choice
1/4C. Xylitol (or sugar)
Pour into saucepan and bring to scalding on med. heat. DO NOT BOIL. Cover and cool to room temp. and place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Almost liquify in blender:

2+ C. Hulled Strawberries
1/4C. Honey or Light Agave (or sugar)
1t. Vanilla
Chill.
Stir mixtures together. Pour 1/2-1C. ice cream mixture into sandwich sized ziplock freezer bags. For each sandwich bag you will also need a 1 gallon freezer bag and a friend. You will need at least 4. Fill gallon bags half full with ice. Sprinkle ice with about 1/2C. table salt. Add one bag of ice cream to each gallon bag and turn over and over to churn and freeze ice cream. Putting a towel on the table is a good idea for soaking up any spilled water (or, heaven forbid! Ice cream!!)

For a simple and easy 5 minute vanilla recipe click HERE.
And for more info click HERE.

Powdered "Sugar"

Read about it, tried it, it worked! You really can powder Xylitol. I wanted to try this out for use in my meringue and it was great. So here it is: A Powdered Sugar substitute with no calories, sugars or health-threatening side effects. (Not recommended for use in large amounts as in butter cream frosting. Use in small amounts.)

Got A Sweet Tooth?

I do.
It's a shameful thing I know, but here I am needing something sweet to end my evening meal! It doesn't have to be big or fancy, just a nibble will do but it has to be something!
I decided several years ago to do some sleuthing around about what sweeteners were "good" and which ones were not. I'd already given up on processed, granulated white sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar, chemicals and all you know. But I took one look at the shelf at the health food store and felt so overwhelmed I uttered prayers right there on the spot!
I know honey is one of the best choices with it's trace minerals, but sometimes I just don't want my final product to taste like it. A good alternative is agave, although I'm still learning about how to cook with that one. Maple Syrup is wonderful when you're looking for the brown sugar flavor, and grade B does it best in recipes. Honey, Agave and Pure Maple Syrup are all low to med-low on the glycemic index.
Next on the list are the ones that are quite sweet but aren't sugars at all. There's Xylitol and Stevia.
Ever notice when label reading that there are usually multiple sweeteners in any given product? That's because they each have their strengths and weaknesses. Xylitol has the drawback of causing diarhea if too much is consumed. (A moderate amount is harmless) Stevia tends to have a bit of an aftertaste if too much is added to the recipe but Truvia brand doesn't. Each of these are calorie free, have no effect on blood sugar and do not promote candida or tooth decay. Xylitol actually strengthens bones and restores tooth enamel!So. How about that! There really are sweeteners out there that are good for you! Recipes to follow soon!