Product: Dairy Free Fudge and Coconut Ice by Fabulous Fudge Factory

This is a UK company. I came across these two products in PAWS (the only place I have seen them in Perth, so far) and thought I better try them in the name of "research", tee hee!

First up - the Dairy Free Coconut Ice. Although I have heard of it, I had never had coconut ice before, so I could not compare it to the dairy variety. To me, this was a sweet, coconut tasting treat - minus the cruelty of dairy, of course. My partner, who comes from a British family background, use to love this stuff as a kid, and was very pleased to see a vegan version available. The pink colouring is achieved with the use of raspberries and beetroot and you can taste the raspberry - which I think is delightful.

The Dairy Free Fudge is what is known as 'Devon Set', which means it is soft, creamy and smooth. (As opposed to the Scottish version which is harder and crumbly.) The fudge is made in batches and are hand crafted. I have had dairy fudge so can compare this product. Basically, the flavour and creaminess is all there, minus that animal fat smell that I find so unappealing. Ack!

If you have a sweet tooth, give these two products a go as a treat. I eat these in moderation, as they are very sweet.

Product: Holy Cow Golden Crunch

It's a tough life, being a vegan blogger. So many new and tasty products I *have to* try, all in the name of research for this blog!

I found this product in PAWS and have not seen it elsewhere. It is very sweet and very crunchy. Think of Violet Crumble or Crunchie bars, and you will have an idea as to what this tastes like. (If you are Australian, that sentence will make sense. If not, maybe not so much. Sorry.)

What you get is cinder toffee, covered in dark chocolate. Be warned however, it is NOT gluten free.

So if you have gone vegan but miss the old bit of Violet Crumble or Crunchie, get to PAWS and indulge!

Recipe: Caramel nut popcorn

A nice little treat to make.  Recipe found in the cookbook “Big Vegan” by Robin Asbell . The original calls for the use of corn oil which I just could not find. I did some googling and read that safflower oil is a good substitute. The trick is to substitute with a light tasting oil. Olive oil is not suitable as it has too strong of a taste. I got the safflower oil at a health food shop. 

What you will need:

½ cup popcorn kernels (try the organic ones that you can buy from health food or organics shops, and taste the difference!)

Vegetable oil spray

½ cup agave syrup

½ cup brown rice syrup (avail. in health food shops)

1 tbsp safflower oil

½ tsp salt

1 cup pecans, chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 165 degrees Celsius.

Pop the popcorn in an air popper. Sort through the popped corn and remove the unpopped kernels.

Coat baking tray with sides, with vegetable oil spray.

Mix both syrups, oil and salt in a measuring cup and then pour over popcorn. Add nuts and toss gently to mix. Spread mixture on the tray and bake for 10 minutes. Stir and reverse position of the tray. Bake for about 10 minutes more.

 Scrape immediately into a storage tub and let cool a bit before eating or cool completely, uncovered before storing tightly covered at room temperature. Will keep for up to 1 week, though it tastes so good, I doubt you will find it lasting more than 1 day!

Product: Goody Good Stuff sweets

I have never been much of a fan of gummy sweets, so I didn't really miss them when I went vegan. (They contain gelatin so are not vegan.) My partner, however, did like them and so when he discovered Goody Good Stuff's products, he was quite pleased. Out of curiosity, I tried a few and was really taken by the flavours! With natural fruit juices and extracts used, plus no artificial colouring, these sweets actually taste like they are suppose to.  Oh, and they are gluten free, too.

They come in a variety of  flavours, some which I have not yet seen in the shops yet, but I suppose it will just be a matter of time.

My absolute favourites are the Cola Breeze ones. They are shaped like little cola bottles and to me, they taste like lemon and lime bitters, which I absolutely love.

You can find some of the varieties at PAWS and some health food stores, such as Optimum Health Foods.