Moving Toward Bathing Suit Season

Spring is in the air - and so is the pollen. Sneeze, sneeze, sniffle, sniffle.

With spring in full swing most of us are looking at our last chance to shed a few pounds before summer rolls around. Unfortunately, I have a little more than a few pounds to get rid of. And I hate dieting - with a passion. I love good food. Most diet food is not good.

If you'll remember from one of my earlier posts I also love creme brulee. Well, I've found a recipe that will allow me to have creme brulee and diet at the same time. No, really - this recipe has half the calories of a traditional creme brulee. What could be better than the dessert I love in diet form but with the bascially the same flavor? Actually this recipe tastes a little more like a Spanish flan or creme caramel. But it's still a custard and that works for me.

Light N'breezy Creme Brulee
3/4 cup 2% evaporated milk
1/4 cup cream
1 cinnamon stick, crushed
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
4 teaspoons brulee sugar (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Arrange 4 (4-ounce) shallow ramekins in a pan large enough for a hot water bath.

Combine evaporated milk, cream and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat to the boiling point (about 2 to 3 minutes total). Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth, brickly stirring rather than beating. Drizzle in the milk mixture, stirring constantly. Blend well, strain through a fine sieve, and pour the mixture evenly into the ramekins. Bake in the hot water bath for about 35 minutes. When done, the centers should jiggle slightly when shaken. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the water. When almost room temperature, transfer the ramekins to the fridge, covering them with wrap and chill at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the surface of each custard with 1 teaspoon of brulee sugar. Torch until carmelized.

Brulee Sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar

Spread the light brown sugar on baking parchment on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Place in a low oven (about 200 degrees F) for at least 35 minutes or until it becomes very crisp and crumbly. Remove from oven and cool completely to room temperature. Rub chunks of the dried sugar through a course strainer until as much of it as possible is finely sieved. Mix the dried brown sugar with the granulated sugar and store in an airtight container. As it will not spoil, it will be ready for several batches of creme brulee whenever you should need it.