Pumpkin Flan
FROM SUBSTACK
This works best in a straight-sided 8-inch cake pan. If your pan has sloped sides, it may be a bit shallower, and all of the custard mixture may not fit. You can also use a ceramic baking dish. The other bonus of a straight-sided pan is that it will fit easily in a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan for baking. Otherwise, you will have to use a larger roasting pan which is a bit unwieldy. Choose your pans before you start.
SERVES 8 TO 10
For the caramel:
1 cup/200 g sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup (optional)
¼ cup water
For the custard:
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup heavy cream
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
¼ cup/50 g sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
Heat oven to 325°F. Have an 8-inch metal cake pan at the ready.
Make the caramel: Combine the sugar, corn syrup (if using) and water in a 1½-quart saucepan and stir to combine. Use a wet pastry brush to wet down the sides of the pan (and get rid of any visible grains of sugar) and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is boiling, 2 to 3 minutes. Use the brush (keep the brush in a cup of water) to wet the sides of the pan again if there are any crystals clinging to the pan.
Raise the heat to high. Cook without stirring for 8 to 10 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally and carefully, until the mixture starts to color. At this point, lower the heat a little and watch very carefully, continuing to swirl gently until it turns a deep amber color (it will start to smoke a bit).
Immediately pour the caramel into the cake pan. Using oven mitts, swirl the caramel around the pan to coat the sides. After a few minutes, do it again.
Make the custard: In a medium bowl, combine the milk, cream, pumpkin puree, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, eggs, and egg yolks. Whisk to combine very thoroughly.
By now, the caramel in the pan should be hardened. Pour the custard mixture into the pan. If it looks like the mixture won’t fit in your pan, pour the excess into a couple of small custard cups or a smaller pan. It should come pretty close to the top.
Carefully put it in a larger roasting pan (see headnote) set on top of a sheet pan and pour hot tap water so it comes halfway up the sides of the cake pan. The sheet pan makes it a little easier to transfer to and from the oven, but be careful not to slosh!
Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, until the center jiggles ever so slightly when you gently shake the pan. It shouldn’t slosh around, and the top surface should look dry, like a cake.
Carefully remove from the oven, again being very careful not to slosh the water around, and let cool until you can touch the pan, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the water and cool on a wire rack for several hours. Gently pull the edges of the custard away from the pan. Cover with foil and chill at least overnight, and up to 3 days ahead of time.
When ready to serve, cover the pan with an upside down serving plate (the plate should have a rim and some depth to it to hold the copious amount of caramel) and, gripping the two tightly together, invert in one swift movement. You should feel the custard drop from the pan, and the pan will sound hollow when tapped. If not, let gravity do its work, and wait for it to fall on its own. If it still hasn’t fallen, tip up one edge of the pan, stick the point of a paring knife between the flan and the pan, and it should release.
Serve immediately with softly whipped cream, if desired.
