ITALIAN

ITALIAN-STYLE CREAM PUDDING
1 packet unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1-2 teaspoons vanilla (see my comments below)
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese

In a medium pot, evenly sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water; let stand 5 minutes. Cook and stir over low heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved but don't let it boil. Whisk in the cream, Splenda and vanilla. Pour the cream mixture into a blender. Add the ricotta cheese. Blend on high speed until pureed and smooth. Pour into 6 custard cups or small dessert dishes. Chill at least 2 hours or until set.

Makes 6 servings
Do not freeze

With granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 278 Calories; 24g Fat; 10g Protein; 6.5g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 6.5g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 266 Calories; 24g Fat; 10g Protein; 3.5g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 3.5g Net Carbs

This was very easy to make and the texture reminds me of instant vanilla pudding. The flavor could easily be varied by using different extracts. If you can't get liquid Splenda, and would like to reduce the carbs a bit, you could use 1/2 cup of vanilla Da Vinci syrup in place of the water and cut the granular Splenda down to 1/4 cup. You'll shave off 2 carbs per serving. You could also vary the flavor by using other syrup flavors.

I found this recipe online and made some adjustments. It called for 1 1/2 cups of half and half and I wanted to use heavy cream to save carbs. To keep the calories from getting too high, I used only 1 cup of cream and 1/2 cup water. You can't soften gelatin over cream anyway so the water was necessary. They said this would make 8 servings but I thought they were a little skimpy so I divided mine into 6 servings. I will add 2 teaspoons of vanilla next time I make this. I thought the flavor was a little weak.

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