Recipe: Pumpkin Flan

Pumpkins and Fall just go together… and pumpkin baked in pies, breads and muffins …just well go naturally with this time of year.

As Thanksgiving approaches … I thought why not try something a bit different … so I set about adapting my Flan recipe. Pumpkin.. custard…a little caramel.. and some sugar roasted pecans for garnish… all I can say is yummm.

Adapting my flan recipe may sound easy but it really wasn’t… too much pumpkin and it will taste like a crustless pumpkin pie.. while not necessarily a bad thing.. it wasn’t what I was aiming for.. too little pumpkin and … well .. it wouldn’t taste enough like pumpkin.

So like a Goldilocks in the kitchen.. I searched for the just right amount of pumpkin. I thought this recipe hit it right on the nose… I hope you feel the same way.

TIPS

Make sure you use a large bowl so it doesn’t splash out when you whisk… whisking the ingredients while adding them one by one is key to getting a good mix.

Make sure mix the cinnamon with the sugar… and whisk it in...all the whisking will mix it well.. otherwise it clumps up and its a royal pain to unclump.

I used 8 (6 oz.) custard cups and 3 (10 oz.) custard cups….. it used the custard up exactly… so you can figure the size you want to use. The 6 oz. cups took 45-55 minutes and the 10 oz. cups took about 1 hour and 15 minutes.... I always test it by inserting a knife in the center of the custard... it's done when it comes out clean.

Many recipes have instructions for melting sugar until it caramelizes…. which can burn if you don’t catch it exactly…. and hardens quickly… instead I used Smucker’s Caramel Sundae Syrup… it worked like a charm. The syrup runs easily over the custard when unmolded.

I used two glass 13x9 casserole dishes for the water bath to set the custard cups in… I put 4 in each (when making the small ones)…. I waited until they were done then I made the larger ones… I just refrigerated the mixture until I made the last batch.

You may also want to read my Custard and Flan Water Bath Tip.

Try this delicious pumpkin dessert!






Recipe: Pumpkin Flan

All you need:

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
7 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Smucker’s Caramel Syrup
Sugar coated pecans (for garnish)

All you have to do:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until completely blended.

Whisk in the evaporated milk as you pour it into the eggs.

Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk as your pour it in.

Whisk in the pumpkin puree.

Whisk as you slowly pour the sugar into the mixture.

Whisk in the vanilla.

Line up your custard cups and squeeze into the bottom of each the Smucker’s Caramel Syrup. Put a good coating on the bottom.

Pour the custard mixture into the custard cups.

Place the filled custard cups into the glass baking dish (see notes above).

Place dish into oven.

Carefully pour hot water (about an inch deep) into the glass dish.

Bake 55 minutes for 6 oz. custard cups and about 1 hour 20 minutes for 10 oz. custard cups... or until a knife inserted in the center of the custard comes out clean.

Remove and cool.

Refrigerate at least an hour.

When ready to serve, run a knife around the sides of the custard cup and invert onto a plate. If the custard doesn’t slip out when inverted…. (mine didn’t)…. simply run your knife around it again and invert again.

You can drizzle more caramel syrup on the plate for presentation. Sprinkle sugar coated pecans.