A Healthier Nutrient Pack Sugar for the Best Halloween Treats...fudge recipe included

Sugar is the fuel of our energy but as any fuel, too much is hurting and it's the quality of the product that makes or breaks our performance.

All my life I explained to not use sugar substitutes but high quality cane sugar and organic and unadulterated raw honey from a defined origin, in limited quantity.

The search for a high quality organic sugar made Palm sugar the new darling of the natural food market, due to its very low glycemic index at 35 when sucrose is 65, its high nutritional content, and its original taste.

My first experience with Palm Sugar took me back decades, to the “Fondants”  from m childhood. Fondants are French candies with the same texture due to an identical preparation from premium quality cane sugar  sirup. These candies possessed an exquisite aroma, flavored with flowers,  moka coffee or fruit spirits.

Palm sugar is used in countries whose population tend to be lean, such as Thailand, India, Java, China, and Malaysia.

There are differences between palm and coconut sugar depending of the places of production, though both are made from the sweet, watery sap from cut flower buds.

Low glycemic index and a high level of nutrients are qualities attracting sugar conscious consumers. It is a sucrose with way more macronutrients than any other sucrose. It is not clear why it has a lower GI, but it has, and has no fructose either (fructose is responsible  for fat reserve with a direct process with the liver, which is really not helping when we try to loose weight).

It is used by food companies as an alternative to cane sugar. Originally it was used in savory dishes to balance salty or sour foods like fish, curries, and sauces; but it can also be used in sweets and in India dark brown palm sugar is used to prepare milk based desserts. 

The refined form is known to have medicinal value, available as granules of crystalline sugar, it has the power to liquefy flegm from the lungs and it is used to treat a sore throat (added to boiled milk). I experienced this benefit when I added to ginger tea and lime juice. The high concentration of nitrogen and other macro nutrients may also be responsible of a drainage effect.

When selecting which brand to purchase, read the labels carefully: many varieties of  palm sugar have been blended with white cane sugar . I will recommend only 100% pure organic coconut palm sugar. Coming from the coconut flowers, some of the properties of honey may be found. I will have on this sugar by Easter time. In the meantime, remember to replace refined cane sugar with 100% pure organic palm sugar for your Halloween treats this weekend!

By Dr. Claude Mondiere, MD

...And a few Halloween recipes by Anne-Sophie...

Devil Food's Fudge

Ingredients

1 pound + 2oz chocolate (70-90% cocoa), chopped

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted organic butter, room temperature

1/4 cup espresso coffee (or 1/3 cup according to taste)

3 cups palm sugar

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract or vanilla seeds from the bea

1 cup raw milk, organic fat free milk, or organic buttermilk (depends on taste)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Line 13x9x2-inch baking pan with baking foil. Combine chocolate, vanilla, butter and coffee in large bowl.

Place sugar and milk in a large and heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and  the mixture begins to boil.  Boil on medium heat for about 10 minutes; stir constantly and adjust heat so it doens't boil over. Then immediately pour milk mixture over chocolate mixture, whisking vigorously, until chocolate and butter melt and the fudge is smooth.

Spread the fudge evenly in prepared pan. Refrigerate uncovered until cold and set, about 3 hours. Using baking sheet, lift fudge from pan. Cut crosswise into 7 strips, then lengthwise into 5 strips. Return to pan, cover, and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving. This can keep for 2 weeks covered in the fridge, though it never survives that long.

Coco-Fudge (Vegan)

Follow the same recipe with the following changes:

For the ingredients:

Take out the esperesso and vanilla from the ingredient list. Replace the milk with coconut milk or cashew nut milk, and the butter with coconut butter. Add 1 cup coconut shavings to the recipe, and pure water if needed (it can get a bit dense)

For the recipe:

Place coconut shavings with the chocolate and coconut butter. Be extra careful with the nut milk when you boil....And if you like some spice, add 1/2 teaspoon chili powder in the chocolate coconut mix!

In addition: the following recipes from epicurious may lend themselves well to this switch:

Rice Puddings with Caramel Gala Apples: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rice-Puddings-with-Caramel-Gala-Apples-355205#ixzz13NoxnNTN

Cinnamon Scented Devil's Food Cupcakes: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cinnamon-Scented-Devils-Food-Cupcakes-109594#ixzz13NmlpcMW