Baked Pumpkin Custard
This baked custard is a cross between a pumpkin pie without the pie crust and a crème brûlée without most of the fat. The average baked pumpkin custard or pumpkin crème brûlée has a whopping 20 grams of total fat. My version weighs in with 3.5 g of total fat.
But aside from the fact that this cheater brûlée is a cinch to make, tastes fantastic, and is low in both calories and fat, its real claim to fame is that you have to make it the day before which will make your Thanksgiving Day much less stressful.
You’ll need 4 ramekins for baking the custard. Ramekins are small, usually glazed, ceramic baking dishes that can be purchased at most kitchen stores.
3/4 cup (175 mL) evaporated skim milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) canned pure pumpkin purée
1/4 cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp (30 mL) dark brown sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp (.5 mL) ground nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Put a kettle on to boil with approx. 2 cups (500 mL) water.
Combine evaporated milk, pumpkin, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla in blender and process till well combined. Add eggs and process until smooth. Set aside so any bubbles on the top of the mixture settle, approximately 5 minutes.
Divide the mixture evenly between 4 – 6 oz (150 g) ramekins. Place ramekins into 8 x 8 in (2 L) baking pan, preferably a metal one; add boiling water to pan so water comes halfway up the sides of ramekins.
Carefully place pan into oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the custard has set. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Cover each ramekin and refrigerate overnight. Serve as is or with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Makes 4 servings.
*Use pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling. You can either buy it canned or make your own.
Each serving contains (without whipped cream): 173 calories; 8.4 g protein; 3.5 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 29 g carbohydrates; 8 g fibre; 107.5 mg sodium
For a less sweet version of the Baked Pumpkin Custard, omit the brown sugar.
source: "Thanksgiving Dinner Made Easy", alive #324, October 2009
Baked Pumpkin Custard
Directions
Mairlyn Smith, PHEc
Mairlyn Smith, PHEc, is a professional home economist, Second City Alumnus, cookbook author, freelance writer, and mom.
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Turkey Enchilada Stuffed Poblano Peppers
In this enchilada riff, we stuff everything into a roasted poblano pepper shell, rather than tortillas, to pack an extra veggie serving into your meal and trim the starchy calories. If you can’t find poblanos, which are mild, dark green Mexican peppers, you can substitute green bell peppers. Flour power Made from nixtamalized corn (corn soaked in limewater), masa harina flour adds a touch of corny flavour to enchilada stuffing or a pot of chili.
Crab Cap Salad
These crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms can do double duty as a fancy starter for a casual dinner party or a light main course on any given night. Meaty and umami-rich portobellos serve as a holder for a light-tasting seafood salad. Gills begone Even though the gills of mushrooms are edible, they will darken and discolour everything they touch. Besides, after you scrape out the gills, you’ll have more room for stuffing. And don’t discard the stems; they can be saved and used when making veggie stock.
Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash
Serving saucy lentils in squash halves is a sure-fire way to elevate your plant-based menu. And, yes, the whole bowl is edible, skin and all. If desired, you can add dollops of Greek yogurt or sour cream. Spice of life Garam masala, a blend of spices traditionally used in Indian cooking, usually includes cardamom, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, fennel, cumin, and coriander. It’s great on roasted meats and vegetables.
Kartoffelknödel Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Toasted Bread and Spinach
“Germans do potatoes in general very well,” says Canadian expat Chris Gilles, who now lives in Munich and has celebrated many an Oktoberfest there. “Knödel seem kind of rubbery. You don’t really think it’s potato when you first see it, but it’s tasty.” But he might be surprised to find that this alive -inspired version of Bavarian potato dumplings is made with a combination of potato and cauliflower, because as anyone who’s eaten cauliflower gnocchi knows, the low-carb vegetable is a great way to lighten up starch-heavy foods (and Biergarten menus). Happy Knödelfest! The original version of these snacks are so popular that it even gets its own food fest: Knödelfest, which happens in September in Austria, about a 1 1/2-hour drive from Munich. If alive threw a Knödelfest, these dumplings would definitely be on the menu, served simply as snacks with sliced radishes and fresh parsley or dill, or topped with butter, beer gravy, or mushroom sauce. The dumpling test You can test one dumpling by shaping it and then boiling it before shaping the rest. If the water is lower than a boil and it still falls apart, add more starch to the batter before shaping another ball and testing again.