6/27/12
4/26/12
Awesome Pecan Bars From Our Friend Bob Haering
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| Pecan Bar Drizzled in Orange Passion |
Bob Haering, a Wax Orchards customer from Michigan, recently contacted us in an email praising Fruit Sweet. He had an
inspiring message and an incredible offer of service.
Bob’s been using Fruit Sweet for the past two years as a
professional baker. He is a pastry chef at an exclusive country club that
offers a low-fat, low-sugar dessert menu. It seems the president of the club was
concerned about his own refined sugar intake and so he asked Bob to develop
healthier dessert choices for the club. Bob discovered Wax Orchards Fruit Sweet
almost by accident when he sent an assistant to purchase some kind of
natural, refined sugar substitute. Bob was expecting something granulated. But the assistant returned with a golden jar of Fruit Sweet. Realizing Fruit Sweet is all natural fruit sugar in its simplest,
non-granulated form Bob started creating low-fat, lower calorie desserts with
it.
One popular delicacy that Bob converted to a healthier
choice alternative was his Pecan Bars. He reduced 1 ½ cups of Fruit Sweet, ¼
cup of honey and 2 TBS Molasses (for color) into a delicious caramel that glues
the pecans together. He uses this Fruit Sweet Carmel as a layer in all the bars
he makes. Bob is quick to point out that he uses all natural ingredients
because the artificial and highly processed sweeteners like Stevia, Splenda and
NutraSweet are ultimately not as healthful as their makers would have us
believe.
“You generally are amping up the fats and salts to cover the
funky taste,” explains Bob. So while certain sweeteners proclaim they contain
no calories, professional chefs like Bob must increase the overall amount of
salt and fat in recipes to mask their unpleasant residual flavors. While this
may decrease sugars, ultimately this does not make for a truly low calorie or
healthier food.
“As far as using Fruit Sweet for weight loss, I can attest
to that,” adds Bob. “I have a horrible sweet-tooth. I would sample all the
pastries that I made with refined sugars. I weighted 238 pounds. Now I only eat
the sweets I that I use Fruit Sweet in. I do not feel guilty eating [it]. I have
lost 37 pounds since Jan 4th this year.”
When Bob said that we were amazed. But we were also a bit
skeptical of such profound results. Certainly Bob must’ve quit drinking and
started jogging and given up carbs and gone onto an all kale diet, right?
“No,” he says. ”I home-brew beer so there’s no way I’m
giving that up. I’m 37 pounds lighter due to cutting refined sugar out of my
diet.”
Bob wants to share his experience
with everyone. Because he’s a pastry chef he is continually innovating recipes.
Bob has generously offered to provide us with the very recipes that he is using
at home to maintain a healthy weight using Fruit Sweet. Below is the first of his delicious recipes. Thanks for your submission Bob!
CHOCOLATE PECAN BARS
SHORTBREAD
CRUST FOR BARS
12 oz (3 STICKS)
Unsalted butter
1 cup Fruitsweet
3 eggs
2 tablespoons
vanilla
4 ½ cups all
purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons
baking powder
Yield: ½ sheet pan or a cookie sheet for home use.
1. Cream butter and Fruit Sweet. Slowly drizzle the Fruit Sweet into the
butter. Take your time adding the
Fruit Sweet. The butter and Fruit Sweet
must be combined thoroughly. Add eggs
one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the
next.
2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking
powder. Slowly add flour mixture to the
butter and eggs.
3. Line the pan with parchment paper. Pat in the dough, pressing the dough up the
side of the pan. Prick the dough with a
fork. Place in freezer for 20 minutes to
let the dough relax.
4. Bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes or till
edges begin to brown. Remove from oven
and set aside while you prepare the pecan caramel.
PECAN CARAMEL
12 oz Unsalted
butter
3 oz Honey
1 ½ cups
Fruit Sweet
1 tablespoon
molasses
4 cups pecan
pieces
2 ½ oz heavy
cream
1. Place butter, honey, Fruit Sweet and
molasses in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil. Boil until firm ball stage (265 degrees on a
candy thermometer)
3. Remove from heat, add cream, (being
careful, as the cream will cause the caramel to bubble up), add pecans.
4. Place another cookie sheet under the one
containing the shortbread (double-panned).
This will prevent the crust from over-browning while it bakes.
5. Fill with the pecan caramel
6. Bake at 350 degrees until set and the
edge of the caramel is bubbly; about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not over-bake.
7. When cool, drizzle with your favorite
chocolate fudge sauce from Wax Orchards .
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