STRAWBERRY PANNA COTTA
1 packet unflavored gelatin (see my comments below)
1/4 cup cold water
12 ounces frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed, reserve juice
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 to 1 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water in a shallow bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, puree the berries, and any accumulated juice, in a food processor until very smooth. Pour the puree into an 8 cup measure (this makes it easier to pour it into the serving dishes), gently whisk in the cream until the color is a uniform pink with no white streaks. Add sweetener to taste. Heat the gelatin in the microwave for about 1 minute on 50% power just until it starts to bubble. Don't let it boil. Whisk the gelatin into the berry mixture well then pour into 6 individual dessert dishes. Chill at least 8 hours until set.
Makes 6 servings
With 1/2 cup granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 304 Calories; 29g Fat; 2g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; .5g Dietary Fiber; 8.5g Net Carbs
With 1 cup granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 312 Calories; 29g Fat; 2g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; .5g Dietary Fiber; 10.5g Net Carbs
With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 296 Calories; 29g Fat; 2g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; .5g Dietary Fiber; 6.5g Net Carbs
I got this recipe years ago from Sara's Secrets TV show on Food Network and finally got around to trying it. Unfortunately, Sara's show is no longer on and they've removed the original recipe from the Food Network site. I made some tweaks to her recipe but I can't remember now how the original was made. I'm pretty sure that she used part milk and part cream. I don't know if there was a mistake in her recipe but mine never set up. I think it probably needed 2 packets of gelatin instead of just one. It was nice and creamy, but not firm like Panna Cotta ought to be. You should be able to unmold this onto a dessert plate and that would be impossible with this recipe as written.
To lower the carbs, I used all cream and Splenda instead of sugar. I also changed the method for making this to make it much simpler. I was afraid that if I pureed the berries along with some of the cream, like she did, I'd end up making butter. I also saw no need to heat any of the cream to dissolve the gelatin in. I used 1/2 cup's worth of liquid Splenda in mine but you might like it a little sweeter so I've given the granular Splenda counts for both 1/2 and 1 cup. After tasting it, I recommend using a cup's worth of sweetener. There would be no change in the counts if you use liquid Splenda.