Butterscotch Tootsie Chews
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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~
I love the flavor of butterscotch with its rich taste of butter and brown sugar. But we won’t be dealing with butter or brown sugar. Instead, I opted for Medjool dates to fill the post for the brown sugar and then used a combination of organic butterscotch flavoring, along with lucuma to find that deep richness.
Lucuma on its own has a very distinct sweet flavor that is reminiscent of butterscotch but it wasn’t quite powerful enough to stand on its own, so I brought in just 1/2 tsp of butterscotch flavoring. Outside of the flavor notes that lucuma can add to a recipe it comes with some good health benefits as well.
It has high levels of beta-carotene and a list of other nutrients and benefits which include: low acid levels, excellent fiber source, low sugar content, iron, B Vitamins, calcium, 14 essential trace minerals, and many others.
If you are thinking, “But Amie Sue, I don’t have any lucuma on hand, can I make it without?” The answer is yes, but I highly recommend ordering some. The added “flour” helps with the texture of the candy so if you really must make it without, I would use some other flour in its place such as; fine almond flour, tiger nut flour or perhaps coconut flour. It also adds flavor and all the nutrients listed above.
If you can get ahold of Barhi dates, use those instead of Medjools. They have a wonderfully rich butterscotch flavor. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to those. That is why I used organic butterscotch flavoring from Medicine Flower.
The texture of these candies is chewy but not tough. Dry to the touch but not crispy. I recommend wrapping each piece individually to prevent sticking and for presentation. For each piece of candy, I used a piece of gold tissue paper, lined with wax paper to prevent sticking. I think it adds a great look.
For packaging ideas, I used a hinged clamshell that you can find (
here) or at any local restaurant store. Twelve candles fit perfectly in them. To wrap the candies, I used brown wax paper (not parchment, too stiff) and tissue paper. I have wrapped over 1,000 pieces of candy this holiday, and I have learned what works the best… trust me, I am a certified wrapper now. lol
As far as tissue paper goes, you can use any color or pattern but stay away from full metallic foil papers. They don’t twist close well at all. Some tissue papers have metallic in them (as you see below), these work just fine. When using tissue paper, you will want to use a piece of wax paper on the inside of it, so the candy doesn’t stick. The tissue paper is just decorative. I hope you enjoy this recipe and please leave a comment below.
Ingredients:
Yields roughly 50 (2” piece) candy
Preparation:
Create the candy batter:
- Remove the pits from the dates as you put them in the measuring cup.
- Be sure to inspect each date as you tear it in half to remove the pit. Mold and insect eggs can infect dried dates. I don’t mean to gross you out; you just need to be made aware of this.
- Place the date paste, lucuma, butterscotch flavoring, and salt in the food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Process until it turns into a creamy paste.
Fill the piping bag:
- It is best to use either a canvas or a silicone piping bag. I used the piping tip Ateco #808.
- While holding the bag with one hand, fold down the top with the other hand to form a cuff over your hand.
- Fill the bag 1/2 full. If you overfill the bag, the excess batter may squeeze out the wrong end not to mention that you will have less control of the bag when piping.
- Close the bag by unfolding the cuff and twisting the bag closed. This forces the batter down into the bag.
- “Burping” the bag: Make sure you release any air trapped in the bag by squeezing some of the batter out of the tip into the bowl. This is called “burping” the bag.
- If you don’t remove the air bubbles, they will come out while you are piping your straight line and cause blurps and breaks. Best to create a seamless line.
Piping:
- Hold the piping bag tip about 1/4″ above the non-stick sheet, at a 22.5-degree angle, and slowly pipe the batter from one edge of the dehydrator tray to the other.
- Keep constant pressure on the piping bag as you squeeze out the paste. This will ensure an even thickness of the line.
- After each completed line, stop and retwist the piping bag, working all paste towards the tip. This will eliminate air bubbles in the bag and give you a solid grip.
- Remember: It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just have fun and if you make a mistake, scoop it up, place back in the bag and do it again.
Dehydrate & store:
- Place the tray in the dehydrator and dry at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) for 16-24 hours.
- Once cooled, cut into 2” lengths and wrap in squares of wax paper.
- I keep mine stored in the fridge for freshness but they can be left out at room temp.
- These candy chews won’t be hard or crunchy.
Culinary Explanations:
- Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)? Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
- When working with fresh ingredients, it is important to taste test as you build a recipe. Learn why (here).
- Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do however truly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.
All wrapped up and ready for gift giving!
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Dairy Free, Dehydrated, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Mmmm..! This is the second time my husband says mmm..yummy! to something raw. He can appreciate healthy things I make but rarely to the point where he goes Mmm! 🙂 He thinks they taste exactly like a caramel lolly we have in Sweden. I like them a lot too, but I almost always like the creations from your recipes so nothing new there! 😀
Awe that just warms my heart Veronica. Thank you for the encouraging words and thank you too for trying out the recipes. I got a great response on these over the holidays when I gave them out as gifts. Thank you for sharing, it means a lot. Blessings and joy, amie sue