Party Pumpkin Custards With Spiked Whipped Cream and Belgian Almond Crisps

 

 

 

It is no coincidence that the majority of my dessert recipes tend to be flourless,custards,mouses and pies. There is a reason for that… while I am known for being a creative talented chef. I cannot bake to save my life. It’s too much with the measuring and the separating. It’s just too time consuming and there’s little room for creativity. The chemistry I think is too restricting so I have subconsciously and consciously made the decision that I just can’t do it. ( But I really just can’t be bothered).

So this weekend between Turkey day and my high School  Reunion my home will be inundated with guests. I have over 12 invitations to various parties etc and several have requested that people just bring a dessert and while I believe that booze is the best dessert I will concede and bring a sweet yummy!…

For my dessert I wanted to do something that has the fall feeling but looks fresh and wont completely steer me off course with my eternal diet…

About two weeks ago my friend Michael turned me onto Belgian Butter cookies. They are like Shortbread’s skinnier less fat cousin! And I was playing around with making some type of a small dessert that I could use that cookie as a base for…along the lines of an amuse bouche but slightly bigger.   Well I went back to buy more inspiration(because I had polished off an entire box) and they were sold out of the regular Belgian butter cookiesL, But they did have an almond version! One bite on this salty savory sweet almond confection and I immediately saw a pumpkin custard with a cinnamon whipped cream topped off with one of these delicious crisps. So off to the market I went to get the rest of the ingredients to try the idea out. I ran down to Crosby’s Market in Salem. And for less than $6.00 I bought one box of the almond cookies one can of pumpkin , whipping cream and fat free condensed sweet milk! This recipe  literally takes three minutes to whip together and then just bakes for 30 min. It serves 12 people!*less than 50 cents a person! (if you have the other ingredients on hand) and you can make it up to a week in advance (just freeze if you are going to pre make and thaw 1 hour before serving)I used a silicon heart shaped muffin baker A great trick is to cool in freezer for at least 1 hour and then the custards pop right out and retain their shape. Make the whipped cream just before serving…and then top with the almond butter cookie.

Ingredients Custard:

4 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tbsp pumpkin spice
1 small can fat free sweet condensed milk

1 box Belgian Almond Butter Crisps.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream:

Heavy whipping cream tsp. Vanilla and cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees .Set aside the cookies and chill the cream. Lightly butter (or use non-fat vegetable spray) a muffin tin that makes 12 muffins.. In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add sugar, pumpkin, salt, pumpkin spice and beat until Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set around the edges but still loose in the center. back regularly. When the center of the custard is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken, that's when you can remove it Remove from oven cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to a week. Just before serving whip the heavy cream and vanilla and plate the custards top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon and top with an almond crisp.

 

 

It is no coincidence that the majority of my dessert recipes tend to be flourless,custards,mouses and pies. There is a reason for that… while I am known for being a creative talented chef. I cannot bake to save my life. It’s too much with the measuring and the separating. It’s just too time consuming and there’s little room for creativity. The chemistry I think is too restricting so I have subconsciously and consciously made the decision that I just can’t do it. ( But I really just can’t be bothered).

So this weekend between Turkey day and my high School  Reunion my home will be inundated with guests. I have over 12 invitations to various parties etc and several have requested that people just bring a dessert and while I believe that booze is the best dessert I will concede and bring a sweet yummy!…

For my dessert I wanted to do something that has the fall feeling but looks fresh and wont completely steer me off course with my eternal diet…

About two weeks ago my friend Michael turned me onto Belgian Butter cookies. They are like Shortbread’s skinnier less fat cousin! And I was playing around with making some type of a small dessert that I could use that cookie as a base for…along the lines of an amuse bouche but slightly bigger.   Well I went back to buy more inspiration(because I had polished off an entire box) and they were sold out of the regular Belgian butter cookiesL, But they did have an almond version! One bite on this salty savory sweet almond confection and I immediately saw a pumpkin custard with a cinnamon whipped cream topped off with one of these delicious crisps. So off to the market I went to get the rest of the ingredients to try the idea out. I ran down to Crosby’s Market in Salem. And for less than $6.00 I bought one box of the almond cookies one can of pumpkin , whipping cream and fat free condensed sweet milk! This recipe  literally takes three minutes to whip together and then just bakes for 30 min. It serves 12 people!*less than 50 cents a person! (if you have the other ingredients on hand) and you can make it up to a week in advance (just freeze if you are going to pre make and thaw 1 hour before serving)I used a silicon heart shaped muffin baker A great trick is to cool in freezer for at least 1 hour and then the custards pop right out and retain their shape. Make the whipped cream just before serving…and then top with the almond butter cookie.

Ingredients Custard:

4 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tbsp pumpkin spice
1 small can fat free sweet condensed milk

1 box Belgian Almond Butter Crisps.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream:

Heavy whipping cream tsp. Vanilla and cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees .Set aside the cookies and chill the cream. Lightly butter (or use non-fat vegetable spray) a muffin tin that makes 12 muffins.. In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add sugar, pumpkin, salt, pumpkin spice and beat until Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set around the edges but still loose in the center. back regularly. When the center of the custard is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken, that's when you can remove it Remove from oven cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to a week. Just before serving whip the heavy cream and vanilla and plate the custards top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon and top with an almond crisp.