Light Creme Brulee


2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
pinch salt
2 eggs
4 egg whites
3 cups fat free half and half divided into 2 ½ cups and ½ cup
1 1-¼-oz packet plain gelatin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
9 tablespoons granulated sugar


To prepare custard; blend sugar together with cornstarch in mixing bowl. Add eggs, egg whites and salt to sugar, beating on high speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Reduce speed of mixer to medium low and add 2 ½ cups fat free half and half to egg sugar mixture blending all ingredients together until combined. Pour ½ cup half and half into a small saucepan or glass bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over milk and allow to soften 3 to 4 minutes.

Stirring frequently, cook over low heat, 2 to 3 minutes or microwave 60 seconds stirring every 30 until gelatin has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Transfer custard mixture to heavy medium sized sauce pan and heat on medium, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until mixture is steaming and has thickened about 10 minutes. Don’t let mixture boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Strain mixture through a fine sieve. Mix gelatin mixture into thickened custard blending well.

Pour mixture evenly in to six 4-oz. ramekins or custard cups or us one 4 to 6-cup soufflé dish. Chill custards until set 2 hours to overnight.

A few hours before serving sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over top of each custard. After caramelizing, chill custards until ready to serve. If making one large custard sprinkle 1/3 to ½ cup sugar evenly over top.

Method 1: Preheat broiler and set custard under broiler as close to heat as possible. Broil until browned, but not burned watch very carefully; should take 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Turn frequently to keep spots from burning.

Method 2: Using a cook’s torch move flame evenly over tops of custard until sugar has melted and evenly browned.

Yield: 6 servings at approximately 260 calories; 1.7 grams total fat; 0.5 gram saturated fat; 72 milligrams cholesterol; 49 grams total carbohydrate; 0 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams protein and 178 milligrams sodium.

Compare traditional recipe at 19 grams total fat and 400 calories.

Recipe from the cookbook, Lighten Up – The Art of Low Fat Gourmet Cooking by Mary E. Ross

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