With a bit of experimentation, I have found the following to be a very good alternative - it forms the basis of my spaghetti carbonara recipe and is highly rated by ND's (Non-Dieters) too!
1.5 tubs of cottage cheese (450g) (f)
150g Fat-free fromage frais (f)
1 mug of hot water (-)
1/2 tsp salt (f)
1/4 tsp ground pepper (f)
2 level tsps cornflour (+2 syns)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 large egg
Place cottage cheese, fromage frais, and 1/2 mug of water into a blender. Blend until all lumps are gone, then scrape into a saucepan. Add the other 1/2 mug of hot water to the blender, give it a pulse, and tip in (this should be easier than trying to scrape out the blades).
Warm gently on a medium heat, and add salt and pepper. It will start to thin a little. Pour a small amount into a mug, mix with the cornflour, and pour back into the saucepan. Repeat with the xanthan gum. Stir frequently with a whisk, to try and avoid lumps.
Crack an egg into the saucepan and whisk quickly until well mixed - we don't want lumps of egg. Keep stirring and warming until thickened enough for your purposes or boiling. If it becomes too thick, add some hot water to thin a little.
It seems pretty stable - stands up to boiling and quickly reforms with a quick whisk.
Taste is good, fairly neutral and slightly cheesy. Very smooth and creamy, ideal as a base for any savoury sauce.
The combination of the three thickeners (egg proteins, cornflour and xanthan gum) work better than any one alone. I was able to get xanthan gum from the baking section at Waitrose - it's used in gluten-free baking (also available on ebay and online). If you can't get hold of some, it should work with cornflour instead, but be careful to add the extra syns.This made enough for 4 generous portions (about 0.5 syns each).
Used in Spaghetti Carbonara
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