Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 7 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs. Carb count does not include polyol sweetener.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Mousse to Die For!
This is the very first low-carb dessert I came up with, and it still blows people away.
1 package (4-serving size) chocolate sugar-free instant pudding mix 1 package (10 ounces, or 280 g) soft tofu 1 heaping tablespoon (6 g) unsweetened cocoa powder to teaspoon instant coffee crystals (use more if you like mocha flavoring.) 1 to 1 cups (240 to 360 ml) heavy whipping cream, chilled Use an electric mixer to beat the pudding mix, tofu, cocoa powder, and coffee crystals until very smooth.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream until just about stiff.
Turn the mixer to its lowest setting, blend in the pudding mixture, and turn off the mixer- quickly. (If you over-beat, you"ll end up with chocolate b.u.t.ter.) Yield: Made with 1 cup (240 ml) of heavy cream, you"ll get 6 servings Made with 1 cup (240 ml) of heavy cream, you"ll get 6 servings Each with 8 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 7 grams of usable carbs and 5 grams of protein. Made with 1 cups (360 ml) of heavy cream, your yield increases to at least 7 servings, each with 7.5 grams of carbohydrates and just under 1 gram of fiber, for a total of about 6.5 grams of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein. (I like this made with the smaller amount of cream, for a st.u.r.dier texture, but I know folks who like it with the larger amount, for a fluffier texture. It"s your choice.) Carb count does not include polyol sweetener.
Variation: Sugar-Free Vanilla Mousse to Die For! Here"s one for those non-chocoholics out there: Just use sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix and a teaspoon of vanilla extract and omit the cocoa powder and the coffee crystals.
Yield: 6 or 7 servings 6 or 7 servings Made with 1 cup (240 ml) of cream, you"ll get 6 servings, each with 7 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 4 grams of protein. Made with 1 cups (360 ml) of cream, you"ll get 7 servings, each with 6.5 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 4 grams of protein.
Better Than S-X!
The Jell-O company invented this quite spectacular special-occasion dessert, which I had to alter in numerous ways to make it fit for low carbers. They"re responsible for the name, too. Cryptic, isn"t it? Better than the Sox? Better than playing the sax? Better than any other six desserts? Who knows? Since the nice folks at Jell-O came up with the original recipe (though the chocolate sauce was my idea!), it would be nice to use their sugar-free pudding to make this.
FOR CRUST:.
1 cups (225 g) almonds 3 tablespoons (40 g) polyol sweetener 3 tablespoons (4.5 g) Splenda cup (115 g) b.u.t.ter, melted cup (75 g) pecan halves FOR FILLING:.
8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese, softened 3 cups (720 ml) Carb Countdown dairy beverage, divided 2 (4-serving-size) packages sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix 1 batch Angel-Type Coconut (page 553) 1 batch Malt.i.tol-Splenda Chocolate Sauce (page 551) or Sugar-Free Chocolate Sauce (page 551) FOR TOPPING:.
1 cups (360 ml) heavy cream, chilled 1 tablespoons (15 g) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix Preheat oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4).
To make the crust: Put the almonds in a food processor with the S-blade in place and run it until they"re fairly finely ground. Add the polyol and Splenda and pulse to combine.
Now pour in the melted b.u.t.ter and the pecan halves and pulse until the b.u.t.ter is melted in and the pecans are chopped medium-fine.
Spray a 9 13-inch (23 33-cm) pan with nonstick cooking spray. Dump the almond mixture into it and press it firmly and evenly into place. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. You"ll want a little time for this to cool before you put the filling on top.
To make the filling: Beat the softened cream cheese until it"s smooth. Beat in cup (120 ml) of the Carb Countdown dairy beverage. Now add the 2 packages of pudding mix and the rest of the Carb Countdown. Beat for about 2 minutes, sc.r.a.ping down the sides of the bowl often. Now beat in 1 cup (70 g) of the Angel-Type Coconut. Spread this mixture over the crust.
Spread the Malt.i.tol-Splenda Chocolate Sauce over the pudding layer.
To make the topping: Whip the cream with the 1 tablespoons (15 g) of vanilla pudding mix, making whipped topping. Spread this over the chocolate layer.
Take the remaining coconut and stir it in a dry skillet over medium heat until it acquires just a touch of gold. Sprinkle the toasted coconut evenly over the whipped topping. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Yield: 12 servings 12 servings Each with 10 g protein; 14 g carbohydrate; 4 g dietary fiber; 10 g usable carbs. Carb count does not include polyol sweetener.
Helen"s Chocolate Bread Pudding Helen was my dad"s mom, and this was our family"s traditional Christmas dessert the whole time I was growing up. People have threatened to marry into the family to get the secret recipe, but since this is the decarbed version, it"s not secret! It is still high-carb enough that you"ll want to save it for a special occasion, though.
2 cups (480 ml) half-and-half 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream 1 cup (240 ml) water 6 slices "lite" white bread (5 grams of usable carbs per slice or less-the squishiest you can find) 3 ounces (84 g) unsweetened baking chocolate [image]cup (16 g) Splenda 2 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch salt Preheat the oven to 375F (190C, or gas mark 5).
Combine the half-and-half, cream, and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring it just up to a simmer.
While it"s heating, spray a large ca.s.serole dish with nonstick cooking spray, tear the bread into small bits, and put them in the dish. Pour the hot half-and-half mixture over the bread and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Melt the chocolate and add it to the bread mixture; it"s good to use a little of the hot cream to rinse out the pan you melted the chocolate in so you get all of it. Stir well. Now stir in the Splenda, eggs, vanilla, and salt, mixing very well. Bake for 1 hour or until firm. Serve with Not-So-Hard Sauce (page 549).
Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 12 grams of carbohydrates and just over 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 11 grams of usable carbs and 7 grams of protein.
Not-So-Hard Sauce Traditional hard sauce is made with sugar, b.u.t.ter, and egg, plus vanilla, rum, or brandy, and when it"s refrigerated it gets quite hard-hence the name. However, with Splenda instead of sugar, my hard sauce just didn"t work-it fell apart in little globs. I added cream cheese, and it all came together, but it doesn"t get quite so hard when refrigerated, which is why this is Not-So-Hard Sauce. It still tastes great, though!
1 cup (25 g) Splenda 5 tablespoons (70 g) b.u.t.ter, softened [image]teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg 1 ounce (28 g) cream cheese, softened Nutmeg Use an electric mixer to beat the Splenda and b.u.t.ter together until well blended. Beat in the salt, vanilla extract, and egg. At this point, you"ll be sure you"ve made a dreadful mistake.
Beat in the cream cheese and watch the sauce smooth out! Mix very well, until light and fluffy. Pile the Not-So-Hard Sauce into a pretty serving dish, sprinkle it lightly with nutmeg, and refrigerate until well chilled.
Yield: About 1 cup (240 ml), or a 2 tablespoon (30 ml) serving of sauce for each serving of Helen"s Chocolate Bread Pudding (page 549) About 1 cup (240 ml), or a 2 tablespoon (30 ml) serving of sauce for each serving of Helen"s Chocolate Bread Pudding (page 549) Each serving will have 3 grams of carbohydrates, no fiber, and 1 gram of protein.
Strawberry Sauce Traditionally, Coeur a la Creme (page 541) is served with fresh strawberries, but I make this for Valentine"s Day. Since I"m generally not impressed with the quality of the fresh strawberries I can get in February, I"d rather use frozen.
1 bag (1 pound, or 455 g) frozen, unsweetened strawberries, thawed 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice 2 or 3 tablespoons (3 to 4.5 g) Splenda Simply pour the strawberries and any liquid in the package into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and Splenda. Mash the strawberries a little with a fork, if you"d like; I like mine fairly chunky.
Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and only a trace of protein.
Fast Strawberry-Orange Sauce This is especially nice for spiffing up a simple dessert for company, using up strawberries threatening to go bad in the refrigerator, or just because it"s Tuesday.
cup (55 g) strawberries-fresh, or frozen with no sugar added, thawed 1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda teaspoon orange extract a.s.semble the ingredients in a food processor and puree. Serve over sliced melon or sugar-free ice cream or stir it into plain yogurt.
Yield: About About[image] cup (80 ml), or 3 servings cup (80 ml), or 3 servings Each with 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 1 gram of usable carbs and a trace of protein.
Malt.i.tol-Splenda Chocolate Sauce I actually think that chocolate sauce made with only malt.i.tol is a little better than this, but this version is less likely to cause digestion problems. Anyway, malt.i.tol makes Splenda look cheap! Do use malt.i.tol, not any of the other polyols, in this recipe. When I tried isomalt and erythritol in chocolate sauce, they turned grainy on me as they cooled. Malt.i.tol makes a sauce with an excellent texture.
cup (120 ml) water 2 ounces (55 g) bitter chocolate cup (50 g) malt.i.tol cup (6 g) Splenda 3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter teaspoon vanilla Guar or xanthan Put the water and the chocolate in a 4-cup (960-ml) gla.s.s measuring cup and microwave on high for 45 to 60 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted.
Stir in the malt.i.tol and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and microwave on high for 1 more minute. Stir in the Splenda, b.u.t.ter, and vanilla- keep stirring until the b.u.t.ter is melted. If you find the chocolate sauce a trifle thin or if you find that a little of the b.u.t.ter refuses to be incorporated into the sauce, use just a tiny bit of guar or xanthan to thicken further. Serve right away or store in a closed container in the fridge.
Yield: 1 cup (240 ml), or 8 servings of 2 tablespoons (30 ml) 1 cup (240 ml), or 8 servings of 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Each with 1 g protein; 2 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 1 g usable carb. Carb count does not include malt.i.tol.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Sauce This is as good as any sugar-based chocolate sauce you"ve ever had, if I do say so myself.
Which I do. Don"t try to make this with Splenda, it won"t work-the polyol sweetener somehow makes the water and the chocolate combine. It"s either chemistry or magic, or some darned thing.
[image]cup (80 ml) water 2 ounces (55 g) bitter baking chocolate cup (100 g) malt.i.tol 3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter teaspoon vanilla Put the water and bitter chocolate in a large gla.s.s measuring cup and microwave on high for 1 to 1 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Stir in the malt.i.tol and microwave on high for another 3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Stir in the b.u.t.ter and vanilla and it"s ready to serve (or make into a pie!).
Yield: Makes roughly 1 cup (240 ml), or 8 servings of 2 tablespoons (30 g) Makes roughly 1 cup (240 ml), or 8 servings of 2 tablespoons (30 g) Each 2 g carbohydrate and 1 g fiber, not including the malt.i.tol, for a usable carb count of 1 g; 1 g protein.
This worked beautifully with malt.i.tol. However, when I tried to make it with erythritol, it started out fine but crystallized and turned grainy as it cooled-though it would still have been okay used hot over ice cream, it wouldn"t have worked for the frozen pies in this chapter.
Dipping Chocolate 12 ounces (340 g) sugar-free dark chocolate 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sugar-free imitation honey or 2 tablespoons (25 g) polyol sweetener 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 ml) water In a double boiler over hot but not boiling water, melt the chocolate. Stir in the sugar-free imitation honey, the cream, and the water. Keep hot over water while dipping cookies, fruit, or what have you.
Yield: It"s hard to know how many things you"re going to dip! It"s hard to know how many things you"re going to dip!
But a.s.suming you make 36 Chocolate Dip cookies (page 507), or dip three dozen strawberries, the dip will add to each of them trace protein; trace carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; no usable carbs. Carb count does not include polyols in the sugar-free chocolate.
Cream Cheese Frosting This is my sister"s recipe. It"s good on the Zucchini-Carrot Cake (page 509) or the Gingerbread (page 511).
cup (180 ml) heavy cream, chilled 1 package (8 ounces, or 225 g) cream cheese, softened cup (12 g) Splenda 1 teaspoon vanilla Whip the heavy cream until it"s stiff.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until very smooth and then beat in the Splenda and vanilla. Turn the mixer to its lowest speed and blend in the whipped cream. Then turn off the mixer, quick!
Yield: 9 servings 9 servings Each with 3 grams of carbohydrates, no fiber, and 2 grams of protein.
Whipped Topping This has a wonderful flavor and texture.
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, well chilled 1 tablespoon (10 g) vanilla sugar-free instant pudding powder Simply whip them together until the cream is stiff. The pudding adds a very nice texture and helps the whipped cream "stand up." It also adds a slightly vanilla/sweet flavor to the cream, of course.
Yield: This makes about 2 cups (480 ml), or 16 2 tablespoon (30 ml) servings This makes about 2 cups (480 ml), or 16 2 tablespoon (30 ml) servings Each with only a trace carbohydrate, no fiber, and a trace protein.
This is incredible with berries as a simple but elegant dessert. I like to serve strawberries and whipped cream in my nice chip-and-dip dish-it looks so pretty! And it makes the whole thing engagingly informal. This whipped topping is also great on any dessert and terrific on Irish coffee!
Angel-Type Coconut You"ll need this to make the extraordinary dessert we call Better Than S-X (page 548) and several others in this book! You could use it over fresh fruit, for that matter, or anywhere you think a little coconut might be nice.
3 tablespoons (40 g) polyol sweetener [image]cup (80 ml) boiling water 2 cups (140 g) shredded coconut meat In a medium-size mixing bowl, dissolve the polyol sweetener in water. Stir in the coconut, making sure the coconut is evenly damp. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Yield: 2 cups (180 g), or 16 servings of 2 tablespoons each 2 cups (180 g), or 16 servings of 2 tablespoons each Each with trace protein; 2 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 1 g usable carb. Carb count does not include polyol sweetener.
Cinnamon Splenda Nuts This is a nice little nibble to pa.s.s around with coffee.
2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter 1 cup (120 g) sh.e.l.led walnuts, pecans, or a combination of the two 1 to 2 tablespoons (2 to 3 g) Splenda teaspoon cinnamon Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over medium heat and then add the nuts. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring from time to time. Turn off the heat and immediately sprinkle the Splenda and cinnamon over the top and stir to distribute. (If you wait for the nuts to cool, the Splenda doesn"t stick nearly so well.) I like these best warm, although they"re still quite nice when cooled.
Yield: 4 or 5 servings (remember, this is just a nibble) 4 or 5 servings (remember, this is just a nibble) a.s.suming 4 servings, each will have 5 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 5 grams of protein.
Easy Low-Carb Fudge This recipe had a very special tester-my 7-year-old friend Austin McIntosh. He gives this recipe a 10. His mom, Julie, who helped, says it"s quite easy to do and really is doable for kids, especially since no heat is involved. She also says it"s good without the nuts, too!
1 pound (455 g) cream cheese, softened 2 ounces (55 g) bitter chocolate, melted cup (12 g) Splenda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (65 g) cup chopped walnuts or pecans Beat the cream cheese until smooth and then beat in the chocolate, Splenda, and vanilla. Stir in the chopped nuts.
Line an 8 8-inch (20 20-cm) pan with foil and smooth the cream cheese mixture into it. Chill well and then cut in squares. Store in the fridge Yield: 64 1-inch (2.5-cm) squares 64 1-inch (2.5-cm) squares Each with 1 g protein; 1 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 1 gram carbohydrate.
Peach Ice Cream This isn"t dirt-low in carbs, but it"s astonishingly delicious, with a fabulous, creamy texture. If you make only one frozen dessert from this book, make this one.
16 ounces (480 ml) peach-flavored Fruit2O 1 tablespoon (7 g) unflavored gelatin 2 cups (400 grams) sliced peaches (Unsweetened frozen peach slices work great.) cup (60 ml) lemon juice [image]cup (8 g) Splenda 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream, chilled 3 tablespoons (30 g) sugar-free vanilla pudding mix Pour the Fruit2O into a nonreactive saucepan and turn the heat underneath to medium-low. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Stir with a whisk as the mixture heats, making sure all the gelatin dissolves.
Add the peaches, lemon juice, and Splenda to the gelatin mixture and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the peaches are just getting tender. Transfer the mixture to a blender (this a.s.sumes your blender can take the heat-if it can"t, let the mixture cool a bit first) and pulse the blender a few times-you want to leave some small chunks of peach, rather than pureeing everything completely smooth.
Let the peach mixture cool until it"s room temperature-it should be syrupy but not gelled for the next step.
Pour the chilled heavy cream into a large mixing bowl and add the pudding mix. Whip with an electric mixer until the cream stands in soft peaks. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the peach/gelatin mixture. Beat only long enough to get everything blended and then turn off the mixer.
Pour the whole thing into an ice cream freezer. (This actually was a bit too much mixture for my freezer, so we had to eat the little bit left over unfrozen. This was not a hardship.) Freeze according to the directions that come with the freezer and then serve.
If you have leftover Peach Ice Cream, let it soften at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving-it"s likely to be unappealingly hard straight out of the freezer.
Yield: Makes about 1 quarts (1.4 L), or roughly 10 servings, a.s.suming you"re using self-restraint, which is actually a bad bet. Makes about 1 quarts (1.4 L), or roughly 10 servings, a.s.suming you"re using self-restraint, which is actually a bad bet.
a.s.suming you manage to share, and not pig out, each serving will have about 10 grams of carbohydrate, with 1 gram of fiber, for a usable carb count of 9 grams; 2 grams protein.
Vanilla Frozen Custard This is so rich and delicious! The polyols in this help to keep it from freezing like a rock-which it would if you used Splenda instead. Try serving it with the Sugar-Free Chocolate Sauce (page 551).
6 eggs 2 cups (480 ml) half-and-half cup (100 g) polyol sweetener 3 tablespoons (45 ml) sugar-free imitation honey teaspoon salt 2 cups (480 ml) whipping cream, chilled 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract In a medium saucepan, beat together the eggs, half-and-half, sweetener, honey, and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly (don"t quit or you"ll get very rich scrambled eggs!), until the mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon and has reached at least 160F (75C).
Cool quickly by setting the pan in ice or cold water and stirring until it"s just barely warm-this prevents trapped steam from making the custard watery. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
When you"re ready to freeze the custard, use an electric mixer to whip the cream with the vanilla until it stands in soft peaks. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the custard, running the mixer just enough longer to blend well. Pour the mixture into the ice cream freezer and freeze according to the directions that came with the freezer; then serve.
Yield: Makes between 1 and 2 quarts (1.4 to 1.9 L), or 10 servings, at least! Makes between 1 and 2 quarts (1.4 to 1.9 L), or 10 servings, at least!
a.s.suming 10 servings, each will have 8 grams of carbohydrate, not counting polyols; 6 grams protein.
Lime-Vanilla Sherbet In Ray Bradbury"s extraordinary novel Dandelion Wine Dandelion Wine, the characters, visiting an ice cream parlor, choose the unusual flavor "Lime-Vanilla Ice."
Consider this my tribute to one of the greatest American novels of the twentieth century.
1 package (4-serving size) sugar-free lime gelatin 2 cups (480 ml) boiling water Juice and grated rind of 1 lime 5 tablespoons (7.5 g) Splenda 2 cups (460 g) plain yogurt cup (30 g) vanilla whey protein powder 2 teaspoons vanilla extract If your blender can take the heat, combine the gelatin and boiling water in the blender container and whir to dissolve the gelatin. If your blender can"t take the heat, stir the two together in a heatproof container until the gelatin is completely dissolved and then let the mixture cool to the point where your blender can handle it but the whole thing is still liquid. Pour it into the blender and turn it on to a low speed. Add the other ingredients, one at a time, adding the yogurt in several additions to avoid overwhelming the blender.
When everything"s well blended, let the whole thing cool until it"s starting to get really syrupy. Pour into an ice cream freezer and freeze according to the directions.
Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each serving will have 5 grams of carbohydrate, a trace of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.
Lime-Honeydew-Ginger Ice This is light, refreshing, and brilliant green.
1 package (4-serving size) sugar-free lime gelatin 2 cups (480 ml) boiling water 2 cups (310 g) honeydew melon, cubed 1 tablespoons (9 g) grated ginger Juice and grated rind of 1 lime a.s.suming that you have a blender that can deal with boiling water, put the gelatin and the boiling water in your blender and whirl until the gelatin is completely dissolved. If your blender won"t take the heat, whisk the water and the gelatin together in a bowl instead until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Let it cool to a temperature your blender can take before you do the next step.
If you"ve used a bowl to dissolve your gelatin, pour it into the blender now, turn it on, and add the honeydew, a few chunks at a time. When the honeydew is all pureed, add the ginger and lime juice, let it whirl another couple of seconds, and then turn off the blender.
Put the blender container in the fridge and chill until it"s starting to thicken up. Pour it into an ice cream freezer and follow the directions until the mixture is frozen; then serve. Or you can do this in traditional granita form, which is to freeze it in a shallow pan and sc.r.a.pe it with a fork every 20 to 30 minutes as it freezes to separate the crystals.
You can just pour this into dessert cups and let it chill as a gelatin dessert instead, if you prefer.
Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each serving will have 4 grams of carb, a trace of fiber, and a trace of protein.
Lemon Sherbet This recipe is low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie-and delicious!
1 package (4-serving size) sugar-free lemon gelatin 2 cups (480 ml) boiling water 2 cups (460 g) plain yogurt 2 teaspoons lemon extract 3 tablespoons (4.5 g) Splenda cup (30 g) vanilla whey protein powder Put the gelatin powder in a blender and add the water. Blend for 20 seconds or just long enough to dissolve the gelatin.
Add the other ingredients and blend well. Put the blender container in the refrigerator and let it chill for 10 to 15 minutes. Take it out and blend it again for about 10 seconds, chill it for another 10 to 15 minutes, and then give it another quick blend it when it"s done chilling.
Pour the sherbet mixture into a home ice cream freezer and freeze according to the directions.
Yield: 8 servings of cup (120 ml)-but just try to eat only cup! Just try! 8 servings of cup (120 ml)-but just try to eat only cup! Just try!
Each serving has 2.5 grams of carbohydrates (if you use the GO-Diet figure of 4 grams of carbs in a cup of plain yogurt); even if you go with the count on the label, this only has 4 grams of carbohydrates per serving, no fiber, and 9 grams of protein.
Orange Sherbet Isn"t orange everybody"s favorite flavor of sherbet?