#FlanFridays: Pumpkin Spice. A Sexy Remix. {Flan de Calabaza}

It’s hardly believable I first made a pumpkin spice flan three years ago! Why in the world would I have made one of my more popular flans for another publication, though I shared it here, too?? It lives in another space and that just kind of bothers me. But I won’t dwell on that. Its amazingness is still alive and well! Because my original one has been featured in cyberspace more times than I can count — a fantastic honor — I thought it’d only be fitting to remake it for us… just you and me. And make it 10x better. We deserve it. Fall is here, pumpkin, varietal squashes, cinnamon, orange peels, Grand Marnier, cloves, nutmeg, roasted chestnuts… all those yummy things abound and they’re begging to be married.

And that’s how it went down last week. I stared and stared at the original pumpkin flan, which I still adore, but was joyfully inspired to take it up a notch. I wanted to make a rendition you couldn’t resist taking to Pinterest, bookmarking, and making for at least one of your upcoming holiday soirées. It’s glorious. It’s sexy. It’s sublime. It’s everything. I promise.

As for me and my house, this new one will take up plenty of pressure cookers, counter space, and pretty cake holders at our dining room buffet. I’m excited about it and so is Mami, seemingly. She’s already asked for a few for Thanksgiving — not just for us, but to share with the people she loves most.

This custard remake embodies all those special elements about Fall and the holiday, my most revered time of the year. I relish in all things warm, fuzzy, aromatic, sexy, colorful and all around joyful. There are plenty of custards out there that could impact you for a long time, no doubt. There’s something incredibly sweet about taking a pumpkin and whipping it up with eggs and milk and the lovely spices we gravitate to during seasonal cooking.

While I stayed mostly true to original recipe, I upgraded this one and did some things differently, namely the milk varieties. I went for creamy evaporated milk instead of 16 oz of whole milk. But the harmony in this remake was something I’m going to leave to your imagination (email me and if you really want it. I’ll share the secrets! :)). It heightened the flavor profile to levels of being unforgettable.

If you need something super creamy and sexy to make next week; something to highlight your table; something to make your family and guests wonder if you’ve been taking cooking classes, then I invite you to make this decadent flan.

It’s everything you need and more if you’re into custard or creme caramels.

A whole quart will yield 8 slices about the size of these two below. I suggest making ramekins if you’re party is small. They’re cuter that way; but a whole one will make your life so much easier. Especially since you’re guaranteed to be beckoned for seconds. Or thirds.

I’m quite pleased with it and looking forward to selling plenty of them to my most faithful seasonal clients…I have about 10 of them in DC that will always call me exactly two days before Thanksgiving, putting me in a frenzy of sort. And if that means having my food on others’ table, it’s all worth it.

This is what food and cooking is all about — experimenting and taking your already lauded dishes to another level.

And like 90% of my flans, I made this one in the pressure cooker. Because who really has time to wait around for 90 minutes (plus cooling time) to bite into this amazingness!

Hosting dinner next week? Here are some fantastic options the Latin fusion space: My Flanboyant Thanksgiving round-up.

Making or taking dessert? Here are my suggestions to wow your guests: Cinnamon creme flan; Rhubarb  & goat cheese puff pastry; Cabezotes; Cranberry Bliss Bar; Dark chocolate and espresso brownies

Happy #FLANFRIDAYS!

Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.

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Enjoy

PUMPKIN SPICE FLAN {Remake}

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp. sugar
• 4 whole eggs, whisked
• 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (canned will do)
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 4 sage leaves, finely minced
• 4-6 sage leaves, divided
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Method:

For custard

In a bowl, combine eggs, sweetened condensed & evaporated milk, pumpkin purée, spices, sage, and extract.  Whisk for about 2 minutes. Set aside.

For caramel

Add sugar to the aluminum flan mold and bring to medium-high heat. Allow all of the sugar to melt down until golden caramel, stirring constantly. Do not allow sugar to burn. When sugar is fully dissolved into caramel, carefully coat the bottom and sides of the flan mold using hand towels to hold the pan. Use a brush if you are not experienced in handling extremely hot caramel. Let sit for two minutes until sugar sets. Pour flan mixture into pan using a medium mesh hand strainer.

Baking the Flan

If you have a traditional 10″ flan pan, cover entirely with aluminum foil. If using a more updated version, cover lid and shut tight with latches. Add two cups of water to a large saucepan and gently place flan pan into the baño de Maria. Bring to boil for 45-60 minutes or until custard is fully cooked, but not too firm. Once the flan is fully cooked, immediately low heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove flan pan from the baño de Maria and discard excess water from saucepan.

Do not remove flan from pan. Refrigerate for 7-9 hours or overnight. To serve, loosen the sides of the flan all the way around using a butter knife. Take a large plate, place upside down on top of flan and flip! Sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon all over flan. Garnish with sage leaves. Cut into individual slices. Garnish each slice with a sage leaf.