Finding good tasting
low carbohydrate desserts can be a challenge for those who are just
starting out on a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diet. I have tried
many LCHF recipes on the internet and have found that many of them
are just lacking in flavor and the satisfaction you get after eating
many of them is just, well uninspiring. So I decide to go back to my
culinary roots and dig up one of my favorite French recipes Creme
Angalise (Vanilla Custard). Creme Angalise is the base for many
French desserts, and one of the first custards that I learned to
make. A common variation of a Creme Angalise is to substitute the
half-and-half for heavy cream to make what I consider the ultimate
vanilla custard, Creme Brulee.
Not only is this
dessert satisfying, it can easily be made LCHF friendly by
substituting a low-calorie sweetener for the sugar. Now I know there
are many people in the LCHF community that are absolutely against the
use of low-calorie sweeteners and if you are one of them, then this
recipe is not for you. As a diabetic, I have been using the Great
Value brand of low calorie sweetener (Splenda clone) for years. While
it is not totally carbohydrate free, the few carbs that is does
contain, have a negligible impact on my blood sugars if any. So feel
free to use other any sweetener of your choice, but you will have to
determine the amount to use on your own as I have never used anything
other than Splenda. Having said that, for reference, the original
recipe called for 10 ounces of sugar so if you are using any other
type of low-calorie sweetener that is the amount of sugar you are
seeking to replace.
Anyway, in this
article I will teach you the steps to follow to make a traditional
French Creme Brulee, as I learned, many years ago as a pastry chef in
training. It is a relatively easy process, and if you do not get in
too much of a hurry you will never have any problems making this
delicious LCHF custard.
Creme Brulee (Yield:
12 desserts)
12 egg yolks (carbs
7.2 grams)
1 cup Splenda (carbs
24 grams)
1 quart Heavy Cream
(carbs 28 grams)
1 tablespoon vanilla
extract (carbs 1.6 grams)
Combine the egg
yolks and the Splenda or other low-calorie sweetener in a metal bowl
and whip with a wire whisk until light and fluffy.
Combine the heavy
cream and the vanilla extract in small saucepan and bring to the
scalding point (just before it boils). With a ladle, gradually pour
the hot cream into the yolk mixture while stirring rapidly to keep
the eggs from curdling.
Once the heavy cream
has been totally incorporated, place the mixture over simmering water
and heat slowly, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick
enough to cover the back of a spoon. Be careful not to get the
temperature greater than 190 degrees or the eggs will curdle.
Chef's Note: The
reason we use a metal mixing bowl is that you want to set the bowl on
top of a small saucepan that has water in it that has been heated
just until boiling. The bowl should not touch the water, rather it
should be heated by the steam from the water as it rises. This
technique is known as a 'water bath'. If you have what double boiler
use it, otherwise a metal bowl bigger than the saucepan opening will
work.
Once the custard
mixture is ready, place small Creme Brulee ramekins (forms) in a large
pan and ladle the hot custard mixture into the individual forms until
they are almost full. Then and add hot water to the pan making sure
that there is enough hot water in the pan so that it comes about
1-inch up the side of the ramekins (this is the water bath in which
you will bake the custard).
Bake at 350 degrees
for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard is set, be careful not to
overcook the custard. When the custard has set, remove the custard
forms from the water bath and transfer them to a wire rack to cool to
room temperature, then refrigerate with a thin covering of plastic
wrap on the surface of the custard until needed.
Chef's Note: Now I
use large ramekins for baking my Creme Brulee, and as we do not add
any sugar to the top of the custard and caramelize it, once the
custards have been refrigerated overnight, we divide them in half
(5oz portions) and place them in plastic containers for our lunches.
Total Recipe –
Calories 4078, protein 52.4 grams, fat 274 grams, carbohydrates 60.8
grams
5oz Serving –
Calories 339, protein 4.3 grams, fat 22.8 grams, carbohydrate 5 grams
If Made with Sugar
Total Recipe –
Calories 4755, protein 52.4 grams, fat 274 grams, carbohydrates 236.8
grams
5oz Serving –
Calories 396, protein 4.3 grams, fat 22.8 grams, carbohydrate 19.7
grams
If you want, you can top your Creme Brulee with a little whipped cream made with heavy cream and vanilla extract, or simply top it with some fresh berries. Just remember these toppings will add extra carbohydrates so make sure you take that into account.
Conclusion
So there you have
it, a delicious LCHF dessert that you will want to make over and
over. Making this Creme Brulee recipe with Splenda ensures that it
has almost as much protein (4.3 grams) as it does carbohydrates (5
grams) per 5 ounce serving. Compare that with the 19.7 grams of
carbohydrates when 8 ounces of granulated sugar is used. That's an
incredible carbohydrate reduction of 75%. Even at only 5 grams of
carbohydrates this dessert is one-quarter of your allotted carbs for
the day if you are following the strict LCHF plan (20 carbs or less
per day), however if you are on a more moderate carbohydrate
restriction (20 to 50 grams per day) you have room to enjoy an
occasional dessert, and this Creme Brulee is a fantastic treat. As
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References:
Friberg, Bo, The
Professional Pastry Chef 3rd Edition, (New York: Van
Nostrand Reinhold, 1996) : 1082.
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