The other day about two o’clock in the afternoon, I was beginning to feel a little hungry. I own about 50 recipe books, so finding something to make wasn’t the problem. The problem was that I was craving something sweet and tasty. Now normally I’m not going to let that stop me from enjoying something less than healthy for me, but today was different. Not two days earlier I had been over at a friend’s house. Their two-year old daughter climbed up on my lap, put her hand on my stomach and asked, “Do you have a baby inside of there?” Right up to that point, I was comfortable with my bulging tummy since it didn’t seem to bother my wife too much. Well, she can’t say too much since she’s got the same problem! But that motivated me to restart my diet and exercise program. While I was looking through some recipe cards that contained recipes my aunt gave me, I came across a true gem that I’m going to share with you today.

I’ll admit that I have a weakness for the taste of chocolate and orange together. If you share my weakness, you’re going to love this dessert. This is great to serve when you know you have guests who are trying to watch their calories.

• While this pudding tastes rich, it actually only has 193 calories per serving. You’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand:
  
  1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  1 cup low-fat milk
  1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
  ¾ cup part skim ricotta cheese
  ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  4 teaspoons orange liqueur
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

Add the milk into a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Once the milk is warm, add the gelatin gradually while stirring and then let it stand for about one minute. Turn the heat down to medium low and add the brown sugar while stirring. Keep stirring until the gelatin and brown sugar have completely dissolved which takes about two minutes (do not let it boil).

Combine the ricotta, cocoa powder, orange liqueur and vanilla in a blender and puree on the medium speed for about one minute. Make sure everything gets mixed completely even if you have to scrape the sides of the blender with a spatula to do it. Then with the blender at its lowest speed, gradually add the contents of your saucepan into the blender until it is combined. This recipe makes enough for four people, so get out four cups or bowls and pour the pudding into the dishes. Cover them with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours until it is set.

Per serving, this dish has 193 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 17 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates 2 grams of dietary fiber, 10 grams of protein, and 224 milligrams of calcium. Enjoy it, because this is about as guilt-free as it gets when it comes to eating desserts.