[broadabroad]

Hey there, folks! I went to a pot-luck type thing last night and took along this low carb dessert that I'd invented, and it was a RESOUNDING success. I'm not usually one for following/writing down recipes, but I thought folks here might enjoy this.

INGREDIENTS:
2 packs of regular Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
1 small carton whipping cream.
I small pot thick cream.
Pack of raspberries (or other berries of your choice).
Cocoa.
Ground Almonds.
Sweetener of your choice (pref Splenda)
Flavour essences.

METHOD:
1) Take a pack of Philadelphia. Combine with a generous slosh of whipping cream. Beat the living crap out of it with beating device of your choice. (I had nothing but a fork to hand. I decided it was good exercise for the bingo wings.)

2) Add splenda to your desired level of sweetness.

3) Add almond essence to your desired level.

4) Beat some more.

5) Add to (preferably transparent) serving bowl.

6) Top with generous layer of ground almonds. Or slivered almonds would be nice. Or ground hazelnuts - whatever you have to hand, basically, that would make a nice crunchy layer of low carb goodness.

7) Repeat, but this time add cocoa to your cream cheese mixture. You can also crush a couple of cubes of dark chocolate and add chunks, if you feel so inclined, for an exciting variation of texture.

8) Mix together a large pot of creme fraiche (...which I fear I can't spell, but can certainly eat) with some raspberry essence, or perhaps some pureed raspberries. (Although actually I used a little Raspberry Crystal Light powder, as I happened to have some.) Sour cream - or indeed more of the cream cheese - would be a happy alternative to creme fraiche, but I didn't have any.

8) Top with a layer of the raspberries.

9) Sit back and wait to be hailed as a domestic goddess.

(Er...not appropriate for Atkins Induction, obviously. And I'm afraid that just as I'm not really the queen of weighing and measuring ingredients, I have no idea what the carb content per portion may be. I just know it was a much happier option than tucking in to anything else that people were providing for dessert last night.)