Pumpkin Creme Brulee
- 1 5-pound pumpkin
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup dark molasses
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 whole eggs
- 9 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the pumpkin lengthwise into quarters.
- Scrape out the seeds and membranes from each quarter.
- Arrange the pumpkin quarters cut-side down on a baking dish.
- Cover closely with foil.
- Place in the oven and bake for one hour.
- Remove the pumpkin pieces and let stand, covered, 15 minutes.
- Scrape the flesh of each quartered pumpkin into the sieve of a food mill or ricer.
- Press to make a fine puree.
- There should be about five cups.
- Of this, you will need one cup for this recipe.
- The remainder may be frozen or refrigerated to be used later in soups, pies and so on.
- Put one cup of the puree into a saucepan and add the milk, cream, molasses and cinnamon.
- Stir to blend and bring slowly to the simmer.
- Select a mixing bowl, preferably of stainless steel, that will sit neatly and compactly inside a larger basin of simmering water.
- Into the mixing bowl put the whole eggs, egg yolks and white sugar.
- Beat until blended.
- Pour the hot pumpkin mixture into the egg mixture.
- Sit the custard mixture inside the kettle over barely simmering water and start stirring immediately and constantly with a wire whisk.
- At this point, great care and caution must be taken to not overheat the mixture, because excess heat will cause it to curdle.
- Stir rapidly over and around the curves of the mixing bowl.
- Cook for about 12 minutes, only until the mixture achieves a fairly thick, custardlike texture, then remove the bowl from the bottom basin.
- Spoon equal portions (about five ounces) of the custard into 10 individual six-ounce, heatproof, decorative baking dishes or custard cups.
- Wipe any spillage off the outside of the baking dishes.
- Cover with clear plastic wrap, and chill thoroughly.
- Fill a small sieve with the brown sugar.
- Hold the sieve over each of the dishes and sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Wipe around the rim of each dish to remove excess sugar.
- Preheat a broiler to high.
- Arrange the small dishes in a metal pan filled with ice.
- Place under the broiler until the sugar has formed a nice crust on top.
- Serve immediately.
pumpkin, milk, heavy cream, dark molasses, cinnamon, eggs, egg yolks, white sugar, brown sugar
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/754 (may not work)