Lite Flan De Queso An Exquisite, Simple Dessert
The delicious Spanish dessert custard called flan travels under a variety of international names, including creme caramel and egg custard. But no matter what it’s called, this smooth, delicious dessert is a treat for the senses.
Lite Flan de Queso is a streamlined version of a traditional Caribbean recipe that is usually made with cream cheese, evaporated milk and eggs. This recipe uses reduced-fat cream cheese, evaporated skim milk and fat-free egg substitutes to produce an outstanding version that contains significantly fewer calories and fat grams.
The full-fat version contains about 327 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving; Lite Flan de Queso has just 273 calories and 2.5 fat grams, about the same amount of fat you’ll find in a chocolate chip cookie.
Making Lite Flan de Queso is an exercise in simplicity. At first, the caramel topping might seem scary, but it requires just two ingredients and some attention to detail to caramelize the sugar mixture without letting it crystallize or burn. The custard itself contains just five ingredients, which are mixed together and cooked in a water bath to prevent browning.
Once you get the hang of making this exquisite dessert, it will become a family favorite, no matter what you decide to call it.
Lite Flan De Queso
Caramel topping:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water (plus additional water to brush down sides of pan)
Custard:
1 cup sugar
4 ounces light cream cheese
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
1 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Select a baking dish large enough to hold a second, 2-quart baking dish inside. Fill the larger pan with about 1 inch of water and place it in the oven. (Make sure the larger dish doesn’t overflow when the smaller dish is set inside.)
In a saucepan with a heavy bottom, combine the ingredients for the caramel topping. Stir the sugar and water together over medium heat until the sugar starts to dissolve. Dip a basting or pastry brush in the additional water and brush any sugar granules down from the sides of the pan. (This will prevent the sugar from crystallizing before it caramelizes.) Boil the sugar mixture without stirring until it turns brown (about the color of pancake syrup) and develops a distinct aroma, about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not let the syrup turn black.
Pour the caramelized sugar syrup into the 2-quart dish and immediately swirl it around the bottom and sides of the dish to form a transparent coating. Be careful not to touch the syrup or splash yourself because it is extremely hot and can cause serious burns. Set the caramel topping aside to cool while you prepare the custard.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar and cream cheese. Beat until the cream cheese is fluffy and the sugar has dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in the evaporated skim milk, egg substitutes and vanilla extract. Do not allow the mixture to froth.
Strain to remove any lumps of cream cheese and pour over the caramelized topping. Set inside the larger dish and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the custard is set. Cool 30 minutes in the water bath, then cool an additional hour at room temperature. Place in the refrigerator and chill completely.
When ready to serve, use a knife to loosen the flan from the sides of the baking dish. Invert the dish over a platter with a lip into a shallow bowl. (There will be quite a bit of syrup, so do not invert on to a plate.) Serve with fresh fruit if desired.
Yield: 8 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 273 calories, 2.5 grams fat (8 percent fat calories), 8 grams protein, 57 grams carbohydrate, 7 milligrams cholesterol, 179 milligrams sodium.
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