1001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes From Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back (135 page)

A pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C, or gas mark 2).

Put the boiling water in a blender container and drop in the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so.

Add the coffee crystals, heavy cream, eggs, Splenda, and salt and blend for a minute or so.

Spray a 1-quart (960-ml) casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and pour the mixture into it. (If you prefer, pour into individual custard cups.)

Place the casserole dish or custard cups in a larger pan filled with hot water and place the entire thing in the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Cool and then chill well before serving. (The chilling makes a big difference in the texture.)

Yield:
4 generous servings

Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and 6 grams of protein.

Don’t go increasing the quantity of apricot preserves here. They’re the biggest source of carbs. This dessert is yummy, though!

cup (105 g) low-sugar apricot preserves

2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice

cup plus 2 teaspoons (17 g) Splenda, divided

1½ cups (360 ml) Carb Countdown dairy beverage

½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream

4 eggs

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 pinch salt

Whisk together the preserves, lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons (1 g) of the Splenda. Spread over the bottom of a 6-cup (1.4-L) glass casserole dish you’ve sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Whisk together the Carb Countdown, cream, eggs, remaining
cup (16 g) Splenda, almond extract, and salt. Pour into the prepared casserole dish gently so as not to mix in the apricot preserves.

Place the casserole dish in a slow cooker. Pour water around the casserole to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the rim. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 4 hours.

When the time’s up, turn off the slow cooker, uncover it, and let it cool until you can remove the casserole dish without risk of scalding. Chill well before serving.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 7 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 7 g usable carbs.

This really is dense and fudgy. It’s intensely chocolatey, too.

1 cup (240 ml) Carb Countdown dairy beverage

3 ounces (85 g) unsweetened baking chocolate

cup (16 g) Splenda

1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

6 eggs, beaten

In a saucepan over the lowest possible heat (use a double boiler or heat diffuser if you have one), warm the Carb Countdown with the chocolate. When the chocolate melts, whisk the two together and then whisk in the Splenda.

Spray a 6-cup (1.4-L) glass casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the cream into it and add the chocolate mixture. Whisk in the vanilla extract and salt. Now add the eggs, one by one, whisking each in well before adding the next one.

Put the casserole dish in a slow cooker and pour water around it, up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the top rim. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 4 hours.

Then turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, and let the water cool enough so it won’t scald you before removing the casserole dish. Chill the custard well before serving.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 10 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.

I adapted this from a carb-y recipe in another slow cooker book. Maria, who tested it, says it’s wonderful and also has a Latino feel to it. Look for shredded unsweetened coconut in Asian markets and natural food stores.

¼ cup (60 ml) sugar-free imitation honey

½ teaspoon blackstrap molasses

2½ teaspoons grated ginger, divided

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice

14 ounces (390 ml) coconut milk

cup (16 g) Splenda

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ cup (120 ml) Carb Countdown dairy beverage

½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

½ cup (35 g) shredded unsweetened coconut

Spray a 6-cup (1.4-L) glass casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Put the honey and molasses in the casserole dish. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap or a plate and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Add 1½ teaspoons of the ginger and the lime juice and stir. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut milk, Splenda, cardamom, remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, Carb Countdown, cream, vanilla extract, and eggs. Whisk until well combined. Pour into the casserole dish. Cover the casserole dish with foil and secure it with a rubber band.

Put the casserole dish in a slow cooker and pour water around it to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the rim. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 3 to 4 hours.

Turn off the slow cooker, uncover, and let it cool until you can lift out the casserole dish without scalding your fingers. Chill overnight.

Before serving, stir the coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat until it’s golden. Remove the custard from the fridge and run a knife carefully around the edge. Put a plate on top and carefully invert the custard onto the plate. Sprinkle the toasted coconut on top.

Yield:
8 servings

Each with 5 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs. Carb count does not include polyol sweetener in the sugar-free honey.

This is for all you maple fans out there, and I know you are legion!

1½ cups (360 ml) Carb Countdown dairy beverage

½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream

cup (80 ml) sugar-free pancake syrup

cup (8 g) Splenda

3 eggs