Pumpkin Creme Brulee (low carb)

My son requested pumpkin creme brulee for dessert this Thanksgiving, because he is a foodie and I freely admit to having created that monster--as they say down South--my ownself.

Fortunately, cream based desserts lend themselves so well to low-carb adaptation. Cheesecake, for example, can be made sugar- and flour-free so well it will fool even your most discerning guests.  (And all of my guests are discerning, aren't yours?)

So I ventured forth with a Food Network creme brulee recipe and replaced the sugar with Swerve. But it didn't have enough eggs (I should have trusted my instincts) and it never set. The flavor wasn't "pumpkin-y" enough for me, either. (But it made a great custard base for ice cream!)

After researching a little further, I saw similar complaints from other cooks in the recipe reviews.  "Not enough pumpkin flavor," or "texture too much like pumpkin pie," and "if you want pumpkin  pie make pumpkin pie; if you want creme brulee make tradiational creme brulee."  The general consensus was that this dish did neither "creme" or "pumpkin" very well. But I wasn't giving up that easily. It ain't over 'til the fat pumpkin sings. Or something like that.

Undaunted, I continued my search.  Almost every recipe had similar complaints.  Not enough spice. Spices fell to the bottom of the custard.  Pumpkin flesh made the texture too coarse and dense.

So I set out to rectify all of those things, while replacing the sugar in the custard with a low carb sweetener.

Fix number one: Spice, spice and spice again.  I heated the milk with the spices and then let it steep in the fridge overnight.

Fix number two: Spice the pumpkin, also.  Same amount of spices into the 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin.

Fix number three: Make the pumpkin super smooth.  After adding the spices, I added about 1/4 cup of cream and the sweetener, and used my stick blender (a small food processor would work) to puree the pumpkin further and then forced it through a strainer with a rubber spatula. The result was airy, light and beautiful...delicious enough to eat off a spoon.

Fix number three: maple extract (www.olivenation.com) and bourbon (2 tbs. of the best hooch you have in the cabinet).  Both of these seem to amplify the warm flavors you want from anything pumpkin.

Fix number three: an extra egg yolk.

Now, about that pesky "brulee" part.  Swerve WILL caramelize but it burns easily with a torch.  Putting them under the broiler will work if you put the custard dishes in a pan of cold water while you brown them.  (I would use foil ramekins if you're going this route.)

Depending on the rest of your meal and whether or not you want to use insulin to cover it, 2 teaspoons of real sugar is 8 grams of carbs.

But they're just as good without it or topped with a little unsweetened whipped cream and chopped nuts.

Adapted from recipe by Williams-Sonoma Home.

INGREDIENTS:

For the custard:

• 
  
  2 cups heavy cream
  1 1/2 tsp. Penzey's cinnamon
  1/4 tsp. ground allspice
  1/2 tsp. Penzey's dried ginger
  3/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  7 egg yolks
  1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  Pinch of salt
  
  
  For the pumpkin:
  
  
  1/3 cup pumpkin puree
  1/8 cup heavy whipping cream
  1/2 tsp. Penzey's cinnamon
  1/4 tsp. ground allspice
  1/2 tsp. Penzey's dried ginger
  1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  1/3 cup Swerve granulated sweetener
  
  
  For final seasoning:
  
  
  1/2 tsp Penzey's cinnamon
  1/4 tsp ground allspice
  1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
  1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
  1 tsp. Olive National natural maple extract
  2 tbs. good bourbon or dark rum (not flavored)
  
  
  For topping:
  
  
  8 tsp Swerve (or sugar if you're living dangerously)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat an oven to 300°F. Have a pot of boiling water ready.

Pour the cream into a small saucepan and whisk in the cinnamon, allspice, ginger and nutmeg. Set over medium-low heat and warm the cream mixture until bubbles form around the edges of the pan and steam begins to rise from the surface, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. When cooled, pour into a clean jar, cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Combine the heavy whipping cream and cream and process until smooth in a small food processor or in a small bowl using a stick blender. Force through a mesh strainer into a small mixing bowl. (This step is optional but it will yield a lighter custard.) Whisk in the sweetener and the spices. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble the custards.

Warm the cream again in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it bubbles around the edges. Remove from heat. Bring the pumpkin mixture to room temp in the microwave.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla, salt, pumpkin puree mixture until smooth and blended. Slowly pour in the cream mixture, stirring until blended. Add the final spices, the maple extract and the bourbon and whisk to combine.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Divide the mixture among four 8-fl.-oz. ramekins (or 8 smaller, deeper ones) and place in a large baking pan. Add boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake until the custards are just set around the edges, about 30 minutes. (The taller ramekins will take about 7 minutes longer.)

Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tsp. granulated sweetener (or sugar if you're living dangerously) evenly over the surface of each custard. Using a kitchen torch according to the manufacturer's instructions, move the flame continuously in small circles over the surface until the sugar melts and lightly browns. Serve immediately. Serves 4 - 8

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