I thought it would be rude of me not to offer this recipe to you on behalf of me, a new member. It saves me every month when I go through that "If I don't have something rich and sinful and sweet I am going to explode!" phase. You women out there know what I am talking about.

Vanilla Panna Cotta

2 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 whole vanilla bean
1.5 tsp unflavored gelatin
3 tbsp water
1/4 c Splenda

In medium saucepan begin to heat whipping cream with the Splenda. Add the vanilla bean by first splitting it down the center length-wise with a sharp knife. Toss it into the cream and stir gently.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the water and the gelatin. Just stir the gelatin into the water 2 or 3 times and then let sit. It will congeal. That is what you want it to do.

Back to the cream. Continue to stir over medium heat. You will see the vanilla bean specks in the cream. Continue to stir occassionally until the cream begins to boil. Remove from heat. Remove the vanilla bean and allow it to dry. You can use the same half of vanilla bean several times and you will want to because a jar of beans is very expensive! Add the gelatin lump to the cream and stir until desolved. Pour cream mix into 4 rameqin dishes. Allow to sit on counter for ten minutes and then move to refridgerator. Allow to set for two hours.

Top Panna Cotta with fresh berries or make a dark chocolate ganache by scalding a couple of tablespoons heavy whipping cream (putting cream in a small saucepan on high heat...it will boil up immediately...remove from heat) and pouring the scalded cream over a broken up 1 oz bar of no carb dark chocolate. Allow to sit for a couple minutes and then stir to mix. Allow to cool slightly and then pour over your panna cotta. One 1oz bar mixed with the cream will cover 2 of the panna cottas.

I do not know for certain how many carbs are in this....none in the cream, and the chocolate I use has zero net carbs. It never affects the amount of ketones I am spilling when I am actively losing weight. Its such a treat. In fact, there a some in my fridge and its calling my name right now!!! Enjoy!

Heavy whipping cream has 6.64g carb per cup, according to the USDA nutrient database http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Your recipe would have 13.28g carb fom the cream, and whatever is in the Splenda.

Thanks for sharing that!

- Built

Hi all. I don't know where you are getting your whipping cream, but HEAVY whipping cream...that is more than 36% milk fat has NO carbs. The next step down, just whipping cream, does has carbs.

Actually, you are both right. It all depends on what is meant by "Heavy whipping cream".

In most of North America, it is 35% Butter fat. That is the highest fat cream usually seen in the US & Canada. (Don['t know where you are as your location isn't in your stats.) But sometimes in the UK or other British related areas, there is a bottled or tinned cream that is almost a gel. http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=175306

Here is a site that gives clotted cream or Devon cream values. Observe the 2 Tbsp serving size to keep to less than 1 carb per serving. How many tablespoons in 2 cups?

I love panna cotta!

Most labels for cream - heavy or whipping - list the carbs per serving which is usually 1-2 Tbsp. In the USA, carbs less than 1 gram per serving can be declared as 0 which is where the confusion about whipping cream having no carbs comes from.

1 Tbsp. can be listed as 0, but those undeclared carbs add up.

Karen

Well, I DID indicate my source.

Light whipping cream has 7.07g carb per cup, for comparison.

Whipping cream IS a low-carb food, no doubt about it. But it's not a ZERO carb food. Those cursed serving sizes will get you every time with the hidden carbs.

It's just so easy to make. I usually make it with 1 cup of cream and about a half a cup of water to lessen the carb count.

Oh, this sounds so very good! I love surprising people with something yummy that I know is low-carb and is helping me maintain. My buddies are beginning to look at me and go, uh-oh, is this good for me? (kind of like my kids!) I'm going to try this this afternoon! I may even go cream. I just *can't believe* that fat is not my enemy, and I use nonfat milk in lots of recipes that call for cream. WISH I could believe it and just enjoy!
My husband is from Wisconsin, a place where they can fit 1,700 calories onto a saucer. We'll be there over Labor Day, surrounded by desserts and beer and cheese curds. Last year I gained 5 lbs during one weekend up there and I can't do that again. I'm scared.
p.s. Is it simple to update my weight? I've lost a little and I'm thinking that posting it may help my morale.

I love cheese curds! Forget the beer and desserts, eat the curds and you'll be fine in Wisconsin!

It is sooooo simple to make. I've noticed there are some real carb hounds out there...my HEAVY whipping cream has no carbs, and truly, even if it did, it must be neglible because I continue to spill ketones like mad after eating the panna cotta 4 days in a row!

Make, eat and enjoy! You can do it! (just go under user cp to update your details...that newer lower weight of yours! woohoo)

I also find whipping cream has never stopped my ketosis, in fact I think it helps. Perhaps the ratio of fat to carbs is as important as total carbs.

I like to think that is true, I have many ways of getting fat into things.

brobin

I'm getting off the subject here....but I've been noticing that on the days that I use soy flour and make things (like onion rings, waffles and pizza crust) that I spill ketones afterwards LIKE MAD! I mean to the point that it makes me nauseous!

So, though there may be some hidden carbs in some of the different brands of HEAVY whipping cream....it is not affecting me in the least (or my husband) and I feel better knowing that with this yummy panna cotta recipe I am not doing without somehow!

Here is to better eating and a healthier, slimmer way of life to all!

Okay, here I go, I'm going out the back door, I'm going across town for heavy cream. Can't believe it--what if I have to believe for this to work, and I don't?!?

Thanks for all your convincing comments. Anyone care to express an opinion on carb-blockers? I just know I'm going to blow it here. Not the beer--I can do without that. It's the breakfast potatoes, and toast, and chips---. Are carb-blockers any good, or are they also From The Devil?

Thanks in advance.

Peg

Personally, I think carb-blockers are bunk.

Anybody have success with them?

My motto is :

IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE........

bite the bullet and do without those things you grew up thinking as comfort foods. Those comfort foods have now suddenly become some comfort padding for your backside or frontside or wherever your cushy parts are!

Goodluck everyone!

Just as I thought. Thanks for your comments on carb-blockers.

I'm not even going to talk about What I Did with that cream last night. And THEN my son came home from the bakery he works at with ba-a-a-d stuff....

Never mind, I don't need to update my weight. This is why I'll never be thin--no matter how good I am for three days or a week, I can blow my plan in any given 15 minutes when a cheese danish from Panera looks me in the eye.