Gluten-free Low Carb Dessert

The Gluten-free Chicano Cooks
Gluten-free Lemon Meringue Almost Pie
Michael Sedano

Lemon Meringue Pie. There’s magic in those three words, and tragedy for the gluten-free owing to the “pie” part. Celiac and other gluten-intolerant people don’t get to eat pie crust, so we don’t get to eat pie. So it goes. That doesn’t stop us from eating the filling of a lemon meringue pie, when we make it ourselves.

At 7 grams of carbohydrates per serving, this lemon filling is delicious, gluten-free and diabetic-friendly, even using granulated sugar. The entire dish totals about 70 grams of carbohydrates. Divide in 12 servings and that’s 7g of carbs per sweet serving.

This week, the Gluten-free Chicano had Meyer Lemons. These distinctively flavored citrus "feel" sweet without lots of sugar and are perfect for this tart dessert.

Ingredients
2 Meyer lemons juice = 8g
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin = 0g
¼ cups granulated sugar = 50 g
1 tsp lemon zest = 1g (1 whole lemon)
1 tbs lemon pulp and rind =1g
½ cup whole milk=5g
1 cup whipped heavy cream= 3g
pinch salt
1 cup water
Carbohydrate count: 76g
http://www.carbohydrate-counter.org/advsearch.php

If you don't have a lemon zester on your cheese grater, use more fruit pulp and rind.

In a quart saucepan, start the water on high flame.

• Stir in the sugar.
• Squeeze the lemons, remove seeds, add to water. Slice off some rind with lemon pulp. Mince finely to total a tablespoon or more.
• Add the lemon zest and finely minced rind to the water
• Stir in the envelopes of gelatin.
• Bring to a boil and stir to ensure smooth non-graininess.
• Add the milk and return to a boil.

Set aside.

Grease a pie pan or an 8” square glass dish.

Whip cream. In a deep bowl put ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream. Optionally, add a pinch of sugar and vanilla. Whip to fluffy, about a cup. 

Stir the whipped cream into the cooling gelatin. As it cools, the cream rises to the top to make a two-tone treat for eye and tastebuds.

Pour lemon gelatin into the greased pan. 

Cover and set in the refrigerator for 4 hours or until firmly set. I leave it overnight.

Cook with an experimental attitude! Instead of lemon use naranja or tangerine. Do raspberries (don't buy Sakura Bros farms), or strawberries, mango, melon.

Pie-lovers note: Girl Scout Gluten-free Cookies make the world's only acceptable gluten-free pie shell. It would kick up the carb count so the Gluten-free Chicano passes on pie crust.