Lemon Ice with Strawberry Puree Recipe

Inspiration comes in odd places. McDonald's has billboards all over town, advertising frozen lemonade with a strawberry swirl. It sounded tasty, though of course I would never consume such a thing. It also sounded very simple to decarb, so I did. I haven't tried McD's version, but here's mine, and I'm betting it's not only lower carb, but better.

Lemon Ice with Strawberry Puree

Tart and sweet and oh-so-refreshing! If it's too tart for your tastes -- I've been low carb for so long that I'm very sensitive to sweetness -- feel free to add some more erythritol, or a drop or two of liquid sucralose to the ice.

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin powder, unsweetened
1/2 cup erythritol
1 cup strawberries, halved
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon erythritol
2 drops liquid sucralose (or to equal 4 teaspoons sugar in sweetness)
1/4 cup water

In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the first lemon juice, zest, and first water. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the top, and let it sit for five minutes. Then turn on the burner to medium, and add the erythritol. Heat, whisking often, till both the gelatin and erythritol are completely dissolved. Let mixture cool.

In the meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a smaller non-reactive saucepan, over medium heat. Simmer till the strawberries are soft, then use a stick blender to puree the berries. (If you don't have a stick blender, you can transfer the mixture to a regular blender or food processor.)

When time comes to serve dessert, put the lemon mixture in an ice cream freezer, and freeze according to the directions that come with your unit. (I used a Donvier, a contraption with which I have been very pleased.) Scoop ice into dessert dishes, top with the strawberry mixture, and serve immediately.

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4 servings, each with: 27 Calories; trace Fat ; 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 6 g usable carb.

NOTES: To forestall the inevitable queries: I used erythritol in the ice because I felt it would give a texture superior to Splenda or stevia. I don't see why you couldn't use another sweetener, you just would get a slightly different texture. (The gelatin is there to improve texture, too.) I would worry that stevia might impart a bitter flavor, but that's your call.

You could use xylitol, too.

Oh, and the carbs in the erythritol are not included in the analysis, because erythritol is virtually unabsorbed in the body.