Directions

Need:

8-inch diameter, 2-inch-deep cake pan Larger pan, i.e. a roasting pan to act as the water bath Oven at 350 degrees F

Make caramel sauce

Choose a small, heavy, stainless-steel saucepan. Add the granulated sugar and water to the pan. Swirl gently to dissolve. DO NOT STIR.

Stirring could cause crystallization which will prevent caramelization (browning). Put the pan over medium heat and swirl the pan gently as it is beginning to boil. Again, RESIST the temptation to stir! Stop swirling and allow the sugar syrup to boil and caramelize. It will turn amber-brown and smell delicious. Remove pan from heat and let sit for 30-45 seconds until the furious bubbling has subsided. Pour the caramel into the bottom of the 8-inch cake pan and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Then, let it sit. (The process of caramelizing the sugar should take 5-8 minutes.) PLEASE NOTE: Caramel is extremely hot and can cause nasty burns. Pay attention to what you are doing and keep the children and pets away.

Make the pumpkin flan

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole eggs and the egg yolks with the salt. Add the half & half and the vanilla paste or extract. Combine thoroughly. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree with the sugar and the pumpkin spice. Whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in the egg and half & half mixture. Whisk again until smooth. Pour this mixture into the pan with the caramel. Fill the pan, leaving about a ½-inch at the top. If

you have extra, you can pour it into smaller mold(s) and bake in the water bath along with the large flan. It will, of course, not take as long to cook.

Set a roasting pan into the pre-heated oven. Set the pumpkin custard pan into the roasting pan and add boiling water around the sides to come up half-way around the custard pan. Be careful not to jostle the pan and splash water into the custard.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until just set. The sides will be firm, and the center will have a bit of a ‘wobble’, and a knife inserted into the center will come out clean.

Remove from the water bath and let cool on a rack for an hour or two. Then refrigerate for several hours or overnight (This is the best - let it chill overnight in the fridge).

To turn out of the pan

Choose a plate that is larger than the pan the custard was cooked in, and it helps if it has a bit of a ledge to keep the sauce from running off the plate when you turn it upside down. Run a knife along the inside edge of the flan all the way around. Be careful not to dig into the edge of the

flan. This is for looks only - so the finished flan looks pristine and tidy. Put the plate upside down over the pan and flip the custard over. You should hear a gentle plop as the custard releases onto the plate. The caramel sauce will flow to the edges of the plate.

To Serve

Serve chilled slices, like wedges of pie. In fact, this flan has the taste and texture of pumpkin pie… only better in my humble opinion! I like it with a dollop of whipped cream, and I garnished it with some candied pumpkin seeds that I made. And that’s another recipe for another fast-approaching holiday. n.b. You can purchase chocolate coated pumpkin seeds (I have eaten them!) or use broken-up pieces of nut brittle for a crunchy garnish.