Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Thanksgiving is a day of family, friends, celebration and feasting. It has always been my favorite holiday for cooking, with fabulous aromas wafting out of the kitchen. I had always prepared extraordinary meals with almost every exotic ingredient you could think of magically converted into souffles, mousslines and deuxelles. Happy days of family and friends. This Pumpkin Creme Brulee is fitting of those days past. It is not for the faint of heart by any means. This is truly a rich, luxurious custard and it packs on the calories. Coming in at about 300 calories per serving, it is not something you will want to eat very often, but rather savor every creamy spoonful on a special occasion. You can share this with someone, but you won't want to. So, if you can tolerate the abundance of calories and all the egg yolks and heavy cream, this little treat is just for you. Even though it is packed with calories, Pumpkin Creme Brulee is not packed with carbohydrates and comes in at about 10 grams in each sinful serving. I hope you enjoy.

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch each ginger and nutmeg

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup + 4 tsp. Splenda

1/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

1/2 tsp. molasses

Preheat oven to 300'

Pour the heavy cream and milk into a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Heat the mixture until it just bubbles, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks and 1/2 cup Splenda until smooth and lemony in color. Keep whisking and slowly pour in the cream mixture a tablespoon at a time. After a few additions pour in the rest of the cream mixture while continuing to whisk. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a large measuring cup for easy pouring. Pour 1/2 cup of pumpkin mixture into each of five medium sized ramekins or custard cups that are oven safe. Place the ramekins in a large roasting pan and pour hot water in until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the custard is about set. The custard should be firm but a little giggle in the center. Carefully remove ramekins and place them on a rack to cool. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours but overnight is best.

Just prior to serving blend the 4 tsp. of Splenda with the molasses in a small bowl until sand like in texture. Sprinkle about 3/4 teaspoon of this mixture evenly across the top of each custard. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan about 6" under the broiler for about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so they do not burn. If you have a small, hand held kitchen torch now is the time to use it rather than your broiler.

Nutrition Facts

5 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 316.4

Total Fat 30.9 g

Saturated Fat 18.2 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.6 g

Monounsaturated Fat 9.4 g

Cholesterol 264.1mg

Sodium 45.1 mg

Potassium 163.7 mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.0 g

Dietary Fiber 0.7 g

Sugars 3.0 g

Protein 4.5 g