Salted Caramel and Lollipops (dairy free)

At first, candy making was pretty intimidating. After reading up on how to make lollipops and caramel, I came to one conclusion. Candy making is nothing but heating up sugar to a certain temperature.

Just like baking bread, I researched many recipes, loading up on tips and tricks. Last year, I tested out some recipes, substituting heavy cream with coconut cream. Let me tell ya. When the caramel turned out creamy and chewy, I could hear myself laugh like the mad scientist. 

I luv how these caramels turned out... chewy but not sticky. Feel free to double or triple the recipe. Perfect for the Holiday's gift giving.

Salted Caramel (dairy free)
makes a lot, but who's counting

1/3 cup (3 oz.) coconut cream
3 Tablespoons (1.6 oz.) water
1 Tablespoon (2 oz.) maple syrup
1 cup (7 oz.) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
Cooking spray

1. Line an 8 by 6 pan with a parchment paper. Spray it with a cooking oil and set aside.
2. Whisk all of the ingredients in a heavy bottom pot.
3. Place it over the stove and heat the mixture over medium low heat.
4. Boil until the candy thermometer reads 240F degrees (soft crack), about 10 minutes.
5. Pour it on to the prepared pan.
6. Leave it sit at a room temperature until cool enough to touch, about 30 minutes.
7. Cut them into desired shaped.
8. Wrap them in parchment papers. (Now you can do the mad scientist laugh because you just make the perfect gooey, chewy caramel.)

TIPS: Be sure to spray the lollipop mold with cooking oil. Once the caramel is ready and pour into prepared pan, leave a little bit of the caramel in the pot, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Bring the caramel to 300F degree (hard crack stage). Pour the caramel into a lollipop mold. And there you have it... dairy-free caramel lollipops. Makes up to 6 lollipops.

STORING: Keep the caramel individually wrapped with parchment paper in a fridge for a week. Bring them to a room temperature for at least 10 minutes to softening them up. Or just eat them like caramel a little bit hard candy.

Allergy Info: These salted caramels are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, nuts (not coconut), wheat, legumes (soy), and fish.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Since I watched several cooking shows featuring the bacon cupcakes, I was itchy to bake some for my kids. They luv bacons. They luv cupcakes. So why not, right?

The first and only time I tried to bake the bacon cupcakes, they didn't turn out well. The cupcakes were moist, but they didn't have that bacon flavor. I tugged away the need to bake these cupcakes for awhile, thinking that one of these days I'd attempt to bake them again.

I woke up one morning and asked my kids what they wanted for breakfast. No idea. I've been saving bacon fats and have the urge to try baking bacon cupcakes again. So I asked them if they wanted to try bacon cupcakes for breakfast. Really, mommy? You had to ask.

A few changes I made: use maple syrup and bacon fats. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed while the cupcakes were baking. Man, my heart was beating so fast. Remember, these cupcakes were for my kids' breakfast. I was nervous because I hated to test out a recipe with no backup plan. If these cupcakes didn't turn out, they'd have to eat the leftovers.

Maple bacon cupcakes turned out... VERY flavorful. A hint of maple syrup was in the cupcake. So fluffy and moist. The bacon fats really helped bring out the smoky flavor. The maple frosting was creamy and perfect with the crunchy maple bacons. I served these maple bacon cupcakes with scrambled eggs. See... who said you can't have cupcakes for breakfast? And no leftovers for breakfast. Whew!!!

Maple Bacon Cupcakes
makes 6-7 regular size cupcakes

1 large egg
1/4 cup (2 oz) maple syrup
1/4 cup (1/7 oz) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 oz) bacon fats
1/3 cup (3 oz) coconut cream
1 cup (4 oz) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Maple Frosting
1 marshmallow fluff recipe
1/4 cup (2 oz) palm shortening

1/2 cup cooked bacon bits

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degree. Line the cupcake pan with a foil cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, maple syrup, sugar, and bacon fats. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, shift together the flour and baking powder.
4. Whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture just until combine.
5. Using a large scooper, divide the batter evenly to the prepared cupcake pan.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the toothpick comes out clean, about 15-18 minutes.
7. While the cupcakes are baking, make the marshmallow fluff as directed.
8. Whisk the palm shortening into the marshmallow fluff for about 30 seconds.
9. Keep it in the fridge to cool down.
10. Add the bacon bits into pot that you cooked maple syrup (from the marshmallow frosting). Coat well then place them on the non stick mat to cool down.
11. Once the cupcakes are baked, let them cool down before frosting. TIP: Place the cupcakes in the fridge for 5-10 minutes for faster cooling.
12. Place the maple syrup frosting in a piping bag then pipe it on to each cupcake.
13. Sprinkle the bacon bits on top of the maple frosting. Enjoy!!!

STORING: The maple bacon cupcakes can be kept in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring them to a room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving to soften the frosting. The bacon fats keep well in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Allergy Info: These maple bacon cupcakes are free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), nuts (not palm), and fish.

Crispy Tortilla Wraps

This recipe came to me after watching Dinner, Dine, and Drive featuring crispy Asian wrap. The wrap looked seriously crunchy and oh so mouth watering.

Got me wondering... how easy it was to duplicate this meal with my own flour tortilla recipe and my own fillings. OK, I have to say it, "Super duper easy!!!"

Basically, I used my flour tortilla recipe for the crispy tortillas. Instead of cooking it on a dry griddle, I pan fried the tortilla. The fillings were very versatile. I was thinking of a brunch, so I was aiming for some breakfast fillings. My kids luv scramble eggs with candied bacons. Sometimes I added candied salmon or leftover proteins like chicken nuggets.

These crispy tortilla wraps have been my kids' favorite brunch. Great for dinner too with pulled pork filling. I even packed them in Brek's school lunchbox. Feel free to make a lot to feed a big crowd.

Crispy Tortilla Wraps
makes 6

1/2 flour tortilla recipe
a lot of safflower oil
Fillings: scramble eggs, candy bacons, smoke or candy salmon, ham, or shredded cheese

1. Make half of the flour tortilla dough.
2. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes while preparing the fillings, like scrambled eggs.
3. Preheat the oven to 225F degree.
4. Place a wiring rack over a baking pan then place both of them in the oven.
5. When ready to make the crispy tortilla, heat a 10 inch frying pan to a medium low heat.
6. Add a good amount of oil to the pan.
7. Take about a golf ball size dough.
8. Roll it out into a thin round tortilla.
9. When the oil is hot, place the tortilla in the frying pan.
10. Pan fry the tortilla until crispy and lightly brown, about 45-60 seconds per side.
11. Place the crispy tortilla on a plate and add the fillings.
12. Fold the crispy tortilla in half then place it in the preheated oven to keep warm.
13. Make the rest of the crispy tortilla. Serve warm.

TIP: There is no need to make a new batch of tortilla dough. Add the filling to the cooked tortilla. Fold the tortilla like a wrap. Pan fry until golden brown, about 60-90 seconds per side.

Allergy Info: These crispy tortillas are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, and fish. Choose the filling according to your allergy free diet.