#PWMF Recipe Contest Dessert Winner: Sue's Pumpkin Cheesecake



 

Y’all thought I forgot about the rest of the “Play With My Food” recipe contest winners, didn’t you?

NOPE! We’ve got two more Foodies to feature.

First up, Sue! She submitted a yummy WLS-friendly dessert recipe that judge Denise thought was out of sight!

Sue’s Pumpkin Cheesecake

 Here is Sue's entry photo:

Ingredients:

• 1 -8oz pkg Greek Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 scoop vanilla or unflavored protein powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4c. + 2Tbs Truvia baking blend
• 1 small can packed pumpkin
• 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

In a bowl beat cream cheese until smooth and add in protein powder, vanilla and 1/2 of the Truvia. 

Mix well.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each one. 

Add pumpkin, remaining Truvia and spice.  Mix well.

Pour into a sprayed glass pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 

Nik Notes:

 I have extensive cheesecake experience so you KNOW I have to put in my three cents!

• Those of you who have followed my blog for a while know of my quest for a cheesecake free of cracks! For some of you, cracks are no problem so long as it's yummy! And sometimes (especially if you're having guests) presentation is more important. If you’d like to lessen the likelihood of cracks, it’s a simple thing to do. Just put an oven-safe pot of HOT water into the oven when you put your cheesecake mixture in there. The cheesecake doesn’t need to sit IN the water, you can put the water on the same or another rack. The steam helps it cook gently.
• I also have always cooked cheesecakes at 325 for 35 minutes, turned the oven off, and left it open a crack to finish cooking as the oven cools down. Why? Because Alton Brown told me to!
• Lastly, if you have a springform pan those make cheesecake extraction a snap! Just make sure to line the bottom with parchment paper so you can easily get it off the pan.

Here’s what Denise said about Sue’s cheesecake!

"The texture was moist and smooth. Flavor was good. Kid liked it. Passed all tests. Lol. Not as dense as classic cheesecake, but I didn't expect it to be. Easy, protein enhanced, and yummy."

The very first picture in this post is a slice of the cheesecake Denise made according to Sue's recipe. Here's a picture of the entire cheesecake:

Pumpkin Toffee Protein Shake

According to my children, pumpkin time is over. 

This, of course, led to a discussion of the popular Christmas songs that actually include pumpkin references. (By the way, I could actually only think of two: "Hear Those Sleigh Bells Ringing" and "No Place Like Home for the Holidays" but if you can think of  others, help me build my case!!!)

So all that is to say I don't know if you consider Thanksgiving the end of "pumpkin season" but I...do not.

This morning I knew I wanted some sort of pumpkin shake but I wanted to play with the standard pumpkin pie shake recipe. And I'm glad I did because this is yummy!

Nik's Pumpkin Toffee Protein Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 c. milk (whatever kind you use)
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use this kind)
• 1 oz. canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)
• 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or you can use sugar-free pumpkin pie flavored syrup, if you have some lying around)
• 2 tbsp. sugar-free English Toffee syrup
• Ice
• Optional toppings: whipped cream and a sugar-free caramel drizzle

Directions:

For a cold shake: Mix it up in your blender using the Triple X Method. Or not. Your choice!

For a hot drink: Omit the ice and mix it up according to my hot protein shake making instructions. Or not. Your choice!

So...this was good. But I have been stricken with the dreaded "little pouch sydrome," or, LPS as I like to call it. So as I type 3/4 of this yummy shake is sitting beside my computer staring at me. Hmph. It was still yummy though!

Crustless Pumpkin Cheesecake (with Sugar-free Salted Caramel Pecantopping)

I know, ok? I know. I posted this recipe on Facebook like a week ago and folks have been patiently waiting for me to post the recipe.

As it usually happens, by the time I get around to figuring out a share-able recipe, very few people care anymore! But for accountability's sake, here we go.

This recipe was a bit tricky because it came about by accident. I was making a sugar-free pumpkin pie and I made the mistake of using the recipe on the can of pumpkin which yielded WAY too much pie filling for one pie shell. Not wanting to throw the rest of the filling away, I played with my food and came up with a very yummy (but small and thin) crustless cheesecake. Here it is:

But those who have made cheesecake before know the methodology is a bit different from a pumpkin pie and so I wasn't sure how this recipe went without me having first mixed up too much pie filling! That was my objective: to find out.

And I have!

I made a few noticeable changes to this recipe in its final format. Firstly, it's a full-size cheesecake. Secondly, as such I baked it in a springform pan. You can still use a baking pan if you want, just make sure to refrigerate it a few hours before cutting it and use a pie knife to lift the pieces if you go completely crustless. OR you can try one of these delicious nut crusts I keep hearing about. If you have a good recipe, post it in the comments so your fellow Foodies can share in the love!

Nik's Crustless Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. low-fat cream cheese (NOT fat-free), softened
• 6 oz. unflavored Greek yogurt (yes you still need this even if you use the cream cheese made with Greek yogurt)
• 1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling!)
• 1/2 - 3/4 c. Splenda (or your favorite sweetener's equivalent of 3/4 c. sugar) NOTE: If everything tastes too sweet to you, go with the lower amount. If you are serving this to a lot of non-ops go with the higher amount!
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 egg whites
• Optional: 2 servings (whatever that is on the canister) of either vanilla or unflavored protein

Directions:

Arrange your oven racks so there is a rack at the bottom and one in the middle. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees and put a large pot or full kettle of water on to boil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and Greek yogurt. Beat on medium with a hand mixer until they are thoroughly combined.

Add in pumpkin, sweetener, protein (if using), pie spice and vanilla and blend again until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, beat your egg whites until they form soft peaks (about 3-4 minutes on medium).

GENTLY, tip your egg whites into the cream cheese mixture and use a scraper or a long wooden spoon to gently fold the egg whites into the mixture (folding is gently turning the batter over on itself over and over again). NOTE: It may take a few minutes to get it all combined. Do not rush and do not use the hand mixer!

If you're using a baking pan, spray it down with non-stick cooking spray. If you're using a springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper (you can also just spray it down, but parchment paper makes it easier to remove the cake from the pan later). Scrape the batter out of the bowl and then spread it evenly.

In the bottom rack of your oven, set a large baking dish and then fill it with the boiling water. In the center oven rack, set your baking dish.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until the cheesecake seems mostly set (it will start to pull away from the sides of the baking dish and will appear firm). Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open and allow the cheesecake to stay in there while the oven cools down, usually about 20 - 25 minutes. This is what it looks like at the point when you turn off the oven. As you can see it retains the little swirls from me spreading it in the pan. If you are a perfectionist...well...make sure you spread the top flat! You'll notice some cracking. That happens. I am not a master baker so my cheesecakes almost always crack a little. Usually small cracks are a good indication it's time for the oven to go off.

When the oven is cooled remove the cheesecake to a cooling rack and cool thoroughly before covering and refrigerating. I get the best results when I refrigerate overnight, but I think 2-3 hours would do the trick.

If you used a springform pan, run a sharp knife around the perimenter of the cheesecake before releasing the springform.

UPDATE:

So here's what had happened. After I shut down the computer and was all set to lie down while the cheesecake cooled down I realized it wasn't as set as I thought so I turned the oven back to let it cook a few more minutes...then promptly fell asleep!

Thankfully my little nap only lasted 20 minutes (I had intended to only let the cake go about 7 more minutes) but it was just enough time to...produce really HUGE cracks!

So how did I get to the thing of beauty at the beginning of this post? Well my motto is, "If life gives you a cracked cheesecake, make a topping!" For this one the topping is super-simple, with only four ingredients!

Nik's Sugar-Free Salted Caramel Pecan Topping

Before I give you this recipe I need to stress this is holiday or party food. Unless you have big family dinners regularly or just have a gargantuan sized family, don't be making this all the time, k?

Ingredients:

• 2 c. chopped pecans
• 2 tbsp. butter (or whatever you use in place of butter)
• 1/2 c. Smucker's sugar-free caramel sauce
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt

Directions:

Set a pan over medium flame with no non-stick, no nothing and let it get HOT!

Add the pecans and toast them, stirring often, until you can just begin to smell them. Transfer to a bowl.

In that same pan, melt your butter. Add your caramel sauce. Almost instantly the caramel sauce is going to change from a lighter tan to a darker brown. That is good and right and normal.

Add the salt and stir until it begins to boil and bubble. Make sure the sauce, butter and salt are all mixed together before pouring into your bowl of pecans. Then stir the mixture thoroughly. Here's my batch.

Allow the mixture to cool for about 3 minutes (you want it cooler but not completely cooled) before setting it atop your cheesecake. From there I DARE anyone to notice the cracks!

Protein Pumpkin Bread

IT'S FALL AGAIN!!!!

I've been waiting to post this recipe until it was, in fact, fall. I have definite feelings about rushing the seasons and I was seeing a lot of folks diving headfirst into pumpkin stuff in, like, August. And if that's your thing, go for it. But to me, the anticipation of seasonal changes makes the coming of the season all the more sweet.

But now, here we are, in autumn! The weather is cooler, the days are getting shorter, the leaves are turning colors and I've worn a cardigan. Twice.

I think this calls for pumpkin bread.

Nik's Protein Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 c. Splenda (or another no-calorie sweetener of your choice that is equivalent to 1 c. sugar)
• 1/4 c. Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon syrup (in the absence of this you can use the same amount of brown sugar substitute like Brown Sugar Twin or Splenda Brown Sugar blend)
• Optional: 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 c. Big Train Low-Carb Pancake & Waffle Mix
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sweetener, syrup and butter with a hand mixer on medium speed until completely combined. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is completely mixed in before adding the second. Add the vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and mix again. 

Sift the pancake and waffle mix, baking soda and salt directly into the pumpkin mixture and then mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined.

Don't mind the Fruit Loop photo bomb. My kids sort of invaded the kitchen as I was in the mixing stage!

Spray a mini-loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray made for baking (it will have a bit of flour in it) OR grease your pan. You may also use a full-sized loaf pan or a cupcake pan if you don't have a mini-loaf pan.

Pour equal amounts of the batter into each slot, then tap the pan against the counter to ensure batter is distributed and to remove any air pockets.

Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a moist crumb. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and cool thoroughly before removing mini-loaves. Wrap each loaf individually and refrigerate until ready to eat. These do freeze well but, again, wrap them individually and well.

A word on my "flour of choice." You all may have heard me lamenting that Atkins has discontinued its baking mix. I was so sad! Yes, there's still Carbquik but I loved Atkins Mix because it was both low-carb and high-protein. That was a win-win. And, yes, I've seen the recipes for the "make your own Atkins" but, frankly, I'm lazy. 

But then I remembered seeing that Big Train, makers of Fit Frappe, made pancake and waffle mix. Quiet as its kept, pancake/waffle mix and baking mix are the same thing: a combination of flour, salt and baking powder. It's got pretty good stats. Each 1/4 c. serving has 90 calories, 12g carbs, 5g fiber (so 7 net grams of carbs) and 11g of protein. So not bad at all!

If you don't have Big Train Pancake & Waffle Mix: Don't fret! Just substitute the amount of mix called for in the above with 3/4 c. of multi-grain pancake/waffle mix (available in most stores) + 2 scoops of your favorite vanilla or unflavored protein powder (doesn't matter the size of the scoop). You can also add a scoop of protein powder to the recipe as it appears above without affecting the texture if you want to add more protein. (And yes, I recognize that I have not given you nutrition information, nor will I! Here's why if you're interested.)

The reason I personally added butter was for flavor, not for texture. The pumpkin provides all the moisture you'll need in this recipe but I omitted butter the first go-round and it just wasn't right! One tablespoon should get you the taste you want!

Please note this is a good base recipe. Which means there are probably a bunch of things you can do to customize it. One suggestion from your good friend Nik: About 7-ish minutes before it's done (the top will have formed but it'll still be soft, indicating that the inside is not done yet), add about a teaspoon of sugar-free caramel syrup (of the Smucker's variety) to each loaf and sprinkle some large-grain kosher salt over the top. Then you have...salted caramel protein pumpkin bread!

I can think of other combos. Add sugar-free chocolate chips for chocolate chip pumpkin bread or PB2 for peanut pumpkin bread (I've had this before and it is DELICIOUS!).

BF Top Five: All About Pumpkin!

It’s fall and you know what that means. Bring on the pumpkins!

First let’s talk about why a pumpkin is a great food to eat. Not only are they absolutely delicious in your favorite fall dishes (and, as Starbucks has shown us, even in our coffee!) but they also have:

• 3g of fiber per one cup serving!
• Seeds rich in phytosterols, which lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
• Beta-Carotene, which has many health benefits and may be linked to a reduced risk of cancer

For even more benefits, check out this nifty Huffington Post article.

So without further adieu, here’s Bariatric Foodie’s Top Five Things to Do with Pumpkin.

Make Protein Pumpkin Custard Ramekins!

These things are nifty and can be right-sized for you! They do freeze well when wrapped properly. When ready to eat, simply thaw at room temperature and they can also be popped in the microwave for about 20 seconds to get the warmth back!

Get the recipe.

Pumpkin Protein Shake Starters

I love this concept! Mix pumpkin and spices, then freeze in an ice cube tray. Pop them out and put them in a freezer-safe bag and voila! Anytime you want a pumpkin flavored protein shake simply add some milk, one or two of your starter cubes and protein powder. No more having to figure out what to do with a leftover can of pumpkin if you just need a little!

See the method for making these.

Pumpkin Chili

Yes, chili! Adding pumpkin to chili gives it a velvety taste and a slight tang that’s oh-so-good! Next time you go to make chili, try a little pumpkin! You’ll thank me!

Get the recipe.

Pumpkin Turtle Cheesecake Trifle

For your next family gathering bring this – but don’t tell anyone it’s healthy! I guarantee it’ll get inhaled. Layers of cheesecakey pudding (and use my Protein Pudding making method to give it even more of a boost!) with pumpkin and caramel. Yummy!

Get the recipe.

Roast 'em!

Canned pumpkin is readily available at stores but if you’d like to try your hand at roasting your own, here’s our easy and fool-proof method. As a mom I can attest to the fact that this comes in really handy if you have more than one kid going to the pumpkin patch!

Learn more. 

Nik's Pumpkin Chili

You all have the good folks at McCormick Spices to thank for this blog post going up on time.

See, when I went on the tour of the McCormick Spice facilities at Fitbloggin, they outfitted me with a TON of great spices to use to freshen up my own recipes. Like I said, they have an initiative going called Generation Fresh to inspire healthful cooking without excess sodium, sugar or fat.

Their cooking demos inspired me! All through the tour I was thinking of things I could try. But then when they gave me free spices, it was on like popcorn!

So...pumpkin chili. I'd heard of it. I admit I was dubious. But I was willing to take a chance. I'm adventurous that way. I'm very, very, very glad I did!

Nik's Spicy (or not) Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I actually used two but that's because of my intense vampire phobia)
• 1 lb. whatever lean ground meat you like (I used turkey)
• 15 oz. black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz. white beans (I used Great Northern), drained and rinsed
• 15 oz. red beans (I used dark red kidneys), drained and rinsed
• 12 oz. can no-sugar added tomato soup
• 15 oz. can pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. McCormick Cinnamon (I used their Gourmet Collection Saigon Cinnamon, pictured below)
• Optional: 1/2 tsp ground Chipotle powder (if you like spicy)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a sprayed pot over medium heat, sautee your onions until softened, then add garlic. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add ground meat and cook until done through. Add all beans and stir completely.

Add soup, pumpkin and spices and stir again. Reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes or until fully heated through. Then cover and allow it to sit a few moments. It's going to be thick, not liquidy so turn off the heat, cover it and let the flavors do their love thing.

Verdict: La Petite Diva and I loved it. It's thick, rich and...dare I say...creamy? I was skeptical about the cinnamon but it was GOOD! The smell is rather comforting, especially alongside the smoky aroma of the Chipotle powder. The pumpkin gives the whole thing a smoothness that it would not have otherwise. It almost takes on a refried bean-ish texture. Yummy!

La Grande Diva wasn't jazzed about the idea to begin with (this is why I usually don't tell her what's in my dishes until AFTER she's tasted it...I think she would have liked it had she not known there was pumpkin in it). She took a small bite, proclaimed that it wasn't right to eat pumpkin in chili, and resolutely refused to eat any more.

Her loss.

The little diva and I chomped away happily and there's plenty for my lunch!

Anyhoo...for even more ideas on freshening up your recipes, check out McCormick on Facebook, on Twitter @Spices4Health and if you use any of their spices to jazz up your own recipes, be sure to use the hashtag #genfresh.

More pumpkin recipes to come, Foodies! In the meantime, have you checked out the info on the Holiday Survival Kits?

Kyle's Pumpkin Protein Bread

It's October!!!!

And what does October mean? PUMPKINS!!!! (Ok, forgive me...I had a lot of coffee this morning AND I took my B12 shot so I may be a bit hyper.)

This month we are going to celebrate all things pumpkin. I'll be highlighting classic pumpkin recipes already on the blog, sharing new ones and lifting up YOUR favorite pumpkin recipes.

So let's start with Kyle's pumpkin bread, shall we?

Kyle's Protein Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 c whole wheat flour (if you wanted to bump the protein up a bit, you could also use Atkins Baking Mix)
• 1 c. no-calorie sweetener (Kyle used Splenda)
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or you can mix cinnamon, ginger, clove spices together to get the desired pumpkin pie flavoring)
• 12 oz. canned pumpkin (NOT PUMPKIN PIE FILLING. Kyle used most of a large can since it was leftover from shakes but use however much you want to taste)
• 3 scoops vanilla protein powder (Kyle uses Body Fortress. When Nik makes protein pumpkin bread she uses Any Whey, which is formulated for cooking.)
• 1/4 c. no-sugar added applesauce

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except applesauce together. Add applesauce and mix again.

Pour into 8x4 greased loaf pan (Nik Note: to save a few calories on the pan greasing, go to Wal-Mart and buy a can of cake release spray!). Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Kyle didn't mention how it freezes (perhaps she'll be so kind as to leave a comment about it) but from the looks of it, I think it would do quite well, especially sliced. When I make protein pumpkin or protein banana bread I always use my hand-dandy vacuum sealer to freeze up slices. Cuz Nik don't like the fuzz.

Anyhoo...thank you, Kyle! You've given us a fine start to our pumpkin celebration!

Pumpkin Chai Protein Shake

So you might remember that I made some pumpkin protein shake starters the other day. I'm just now getting around to using them! It's not that I didn't want to use them. I've just been testing one of the shake flavors that will be included in the 2012 Bariatric Foodie Holiday Survival Kit (those of you who ordered last year will remember you got two yummy shake kits that came with everything you need to make a Signature Bariatric Foodie - except the liquid of course! But if you weren't around, here's the info about last year's Survival Kit to familiarize yourself. Info about the 2012 Kit will be available soon and they'll go on sale in late-October).

Anyhoo...for the last few days I've been testing that recipe and, frankly, I hit a wall with it. It's almost there but I needed something different today to...I dunno, reset my palate maybe? Anyway, this shake got the job done!

Nik's Pumpkin Chai Protein Shake

1 c. milk (whatever kind you use)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 pumpkin pie protein shake starter cubes
1 tbsp Davinci sugar-free Chai Concentrate (if you don't have that, you can also use 2 tsp of sugar-free chai tea mix - I believe General Foods makes it)
Sweetener, to taste

Optional: Whippage and an additional dusting of cinnamon, as shown above

Directions:

Combine milk, protein powder, shake starters and concentrate in a blender. Mix according to the Triple X Method. Or not. Your choice! NOTE: I'd use a few extra ice cubes in addition to the shake starters personally (2-4 of them).

This was a neat little drink. Very Starbucks-esque, if I do say so myself.

Now...back to those Survival Kits...

Pumpkin Protein Shake Starters

I'm really busy most days. Are you?

If so you know that making some of the more decadent dessert shakes can be a hassle. Take pumpkin shakes for example. You have to crack open a can of pumpkin, dole out what you need for your shake, find something to store the rest of the pumpkin. All this makes those types of shakes not feasible for when you're on the go.

I have a solution.

Protein shake starters!

"What the HELL is a protein shake starter, Nik?"

I'm glad you asked.  I make protein shake starters so that I can quickly and easily assemble my shakes with all the flavors I love but without all the mess and time investment.

I just made up a batch of pumpkin protein shake starters and here's how I did it:

Step One: Assemble the ingredients

So here we have a can of pumpkin, some pumpkin pie spice, some vanilla extract (or you can use some sugar-free vanilla syrup), a bowl, a wooden spoon and an ice cube tray.

Step Two: Mix it Up!

Combine the ingredients in your bowl and mix well! You want the flavors to be well distributed. Here I used the whole can of pumpkin, 1 tsp. of vanilla and 1/4 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice. You can adjust to your liking though! I did not add sweetener. I'll add that directly to my shake if I want it.

Step Three: The ice cube tray

This is your secret weapon in this whole deal. The one thing that always irked me about pumpkin shakes was feeling like I had to figure out what to do with the rest of that can of pumpkin. Well, once you mix up your starter, fill an empty ice cube tray with it, using a tablespoon measure. On a standard ice cube tray this should get you perfect, one ounce servings of your pumpkin mixture. Remember to tap down your ice cube tray on the counter to make sure it settles in there nice.

Step Four: Freeze!

Then all you have to do is pop it in the freezer and freeze until solid. When they're done, you pop them out of the ice cube tray and into some freezer bags (I recommend getting smaller bags and only putting a few in each bag).

Then when you're ready to make your shake, combine your shake starter (two cubes) with milk (or water, if that's your thing), protein powder and any other flavor additives you like (additional sugar-free syrups, etc.) and away you go!

These starters take about 10 minutes to make but they save you time and money. Now that you have your canned pumpkin all prepped to become a shake, and now that you have it all frozen (so it lasts longer) you waste less pumpkin and you can mix up your pumpkin pie shake in no time!

And it's automatic portion control. Remember, generally one ice cube slot = one ounce.

I make protein shake starters out of all sorts of stuff. Look for more combinations to come!

Nik's Protein Pumpkin Custard

First, let's straighten one thing out. There really is no difference between pumpkin custard and pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie = pumpkin custard in a pie crust.

That being out of our way, I did modify this recipe just a wee bit to make it fit into six ramekins. A traditional pumpkin pie recipe would fill probaby about 8 -10. I didn't want 8-10. In the midst of doing my FINAL final tweaks on the recipes for the 2011 Bariatric Foodie Holiday Food Tasting, I'm already stressed out about the amount of food in my fridge. I didn't need any more stress!

This recipe was at the request of my lovely bariatric coordinator and friend, Cathy, who saw a pumpkin custard at Cracker Barrell. She didn't want to indulge in the high sugar, high fat of that version, so she asked if I have a recipe. And of course I do!

Nik's Protein Pumpkin Custard

2 egg whites
3/4 c. no-calorie sweetener
2 scoops vanilla whey protein
1-3/4 c. pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
2/3 c. nonfat evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350.

In a bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy (don't let it get to stiff peaks, so beat it by hand).

Add the sweetener and whisk until incorporated. Add the protein and do the same.

Add pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and mix until incorporated.

Pour in evaporated milk and then whisk until the mixture is lump-free.

Place in six ramekins and put the ramekins in a baking dish, like so:

Now technically you don't have to do a water bath, but I did. Why? We are using protein powder, which can sometimes toughen up baked goods. We want a nice, gentle sauna going on in the oven that coaxes the protein powder into melding seamlessly with the rest of the custard.

Stick that in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes, but start checking at about 25 as oven temperatures vary. You'll know it's done if you jiggle a ramekin and the filling inside doesn't quiver at all.

Here's my lil guys, fresh out of the oven!

A little real whipped cream on top and this was a beautiful end to a cold day!

While I'm not giving nutrition info on this recipe (here's why), I will say mine tote about 8g of protein per  3 oz. ramekin. Not bad for dessert...