Recipe: Pumpkin Flan

Pumpkin Flan

Serves 6 people

This is our favorite autumn dessert. If you like pumpkin pie, you'll love this lighter alternative. Shown with Mango-Habanero Whipped Cream.

1 cup condensed milk
1 cup milk
4 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of cinnamon allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin
6 buttered and sugared ramekins

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Butter six 3/4 cup ramekins and coat with sugar. In a medium- sized saucepan combine the condensed milk and regular milk and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until scalded.

In a nonreactive bowl, beat the eggs and yolk lightly. Add the vanilla, sugar and spices and whisk until well mixed. While continuing to whisk, add the milk gradually and then the pumpkin. Fill the buttered and sugared ramekins with the mixture.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and add hot water to the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the molds. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the custards are set. Remove from the oven and let cool. Run a paring knife around the inside edge of each mold to loosen the custards. Then unmold onto 6 small plates.

From:
Nuevo Tex-Mex
By David Garrido and Robb Walsh
Chronicle Books
Full-color photographs and illustrations throughout
Paperback, $19.95
ISBN 0-8118-1612-5
Recipe Reprinted by permission.