Cuban Pumpkin Flan Food

CUBAN PUMPKIN FLAN (A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE TO PUMPKIN PIE) W/ MUL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a heavy saucepan melt 1 cup sugar over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is amber in color and has turned into a smooth liquid. Immediately remove the syrup from heat and pour evenly into the bottom of a heated 9-inch glass pie plate, 2-quart casserole dish, or a cake mold. (To heat the dish, pour hot or boiling water into it and let stand for a minute or two, then drain and dry completely before adding the sugar syrup.).
• In a heavy saucepan, bring the milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon stick or spice mixture, and salt to a boil over medium heat and remove from heat immediately. Discard the cinnamon stick.
• In a large mixing bowl beat together the eggs, egg yolks, remaining sugar, and vanilla. While the beater is running, slowly add ½ cup of the hot milk mixture and beat until eggs are tempered, then slowly add the remaining hot milk.
• Pour the mixture into the dish over the hardened sugar syrup and place in a baking pan. Add hot water to halfway up the side of the dish. Place in oven and cook for 1 hour or until the custard has set.
• Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven and remove the flan dish from the hot water bath and allow to cool. While the flan is still warm, run a knife around the edge to loosen it.
• To remove flan, place a large, deep plate face down on top of the dish and invert the flan onto the plate. Make sure the plate is large enough to hold the flan and has enough of a well to hold the syrup.
• Flan can be served warm or chilled.
• Note: The flan can be prepared 2 days in advance and kept covered and refrigerated.

PUMPKIN FLAN WITH MAPLE CARAMEL

Steps:

• For the caramel, combine the sugar, maple syrup and 1/3 cup water in a small deep heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil, swirling the pan (don?t stir!) to dissolve the sugar. Cook at a low boil without stirring for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture turns a golden brown and registers 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Watch it carefully so it doesn?t burn! Off the heat, swirl in the fleur de sel and immediately pour into an 8-by-2-inch round cake pan (not a springform!). Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, canned pumpkin and mascarpone in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, maple extract, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gently pour the pumpkin mixture into the pan with the caramel so they don?t combine.
• Place the pan in a roasting pan large enough to hold the cake pan flat and fill the roasting pan with enough of the hottest tap water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 70 to 75 minutes, until the custard is just set. It will be firm but still jiggle slightly in the middle; a knife inserted into the center of the flan will come out clean. Remove the flan from the water bath, place on a cooling rack and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Don?t tilt the pan or the caramel will run out!
• Run a small knife around the edge of the flan. Turn a flat serving plate with a slight lip over the cake pan and flip them, turning the flan out onto the plate. The caramel should run out over the flan. Cut into wedges and serve with the caramel spooned over each slice.

FLAN DE CALABAZA - PUMPKIN FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Heat the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it caramelizes. Mix it a few times to help it melt evenly. Once it's brown, immediately remove from heat and pour into a 9-inch round pan. Set aside.
• Beat the eggs lightly in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well.
• Pour the flan mixture into the pan with the caramel sauce.
• Make the water bath by placing the flan dish into a large roasting pan and pouring water into the roasting pan (not the flan) until it reaches halfway up the side of the flan dish.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until it is set. You can insert a toothpick to check if it comes out clean.
• Let flan cool and refrigerate overnight.
• Unmold by running a knife along the edge of the pan and carefully invert onto a large platter.

PUMPKIN FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Put the granulated sugar in a 9-inch cake pan or pie plate, set on the center rack in the oven, and bake until the sugar is caramel colored, 8 to 12 minutes. Swirl to cover the bottom of the pie plate with the caramel.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in pumpkin puree. In a medium bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, and vanilla. Thoroughly blend the egg mixture into the pumpkin puree.
• Set the pie plate in a large roasting pan, and pour the custard over the caramel. Carefully pour enough hot tap water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the pie plate. Bake until the custard is set, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool and chill in the refrigerator. Run a knife around the outside edge of the flan and invert it onto a rimmed plate. Cut into wedges or scoop and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

PUMPKIN FLAN

Steps:

• Make the caramel: In a heavy saucepan, mix 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. The mixture should look like wet sand. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to make large bubbles. Continue to cook without stirring, rotating the pan regularly, until the caramel is translucent and amber-colored, 12 to 15 minutes. Working quickly, pour caramel into a 2-quart oven-safe glass bowl and rotate the bowl so it coats the sides.
• Make the flan: In another saucepan, combine remaining sugar, cinnamon stick and half-and-half. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl until well blended. Whisk in vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt and pumpkin and squash purées. Add cooled cream mixture and whisk well.
• Pour custard mixture through a mesh sieve, stirring and pressing with a spatula. You can do this directly into the bowl with the caramel, or into a separate bowl first, and then pour the strained mixture into the bowl with the caramel.
• Place the bowl with the custard into a larger baking dish and carefully add warm water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the flan bowl. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 45 to 60 minutes, or until flan is just set in the middle, but still jiggles slightly. (A wider, shallower baking vessel will cook more quickly than a deeper one.)
• Remove flan from water bath and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until completely cool, preferably overnight. To serve, run a knife around the edges of the flan, then put a serving platter on top of the bowl and invert. The flan should slip easily onto the serving platter with the caramel sauce pooling nicely around it.

DELICIOUS, EASY CUBAN-STYLE FLAN

Steps:

• Equipment: 1 quart flanera or 1 quart round casserole dish with lid AND 1 ovenproof dish or baking pan that the flanera or casserole will fit into.
• Caramel: Some people like to make caramel by adding water to sugar and then cooking it to a nice dark golden brown, and some just like to melt the sugar to golden without water. Either method will work here. If you are using a flanera, which is a metal pan with a lock-down lid, you can make the caramel right in the flanera. If you are using a casserole dish, make the caramel in a saucepan and pour into the bottom of the casserole dish.
• Custard: As you prepare the custard, the caramel will cool. In a separate bowl, beat the 1 whole egg and 5 egg yolks together. A whisk works very well here. Add the evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk to the eggs and mix together. Add the vanilla extract, either 1/2 teaspoon or 1 teaspoon depending on what strength you prefer. Pour the custard mixture into the flanera or casserole dish over the hardened caramel. Put on the lid.
• Put your flan into the ovenproof dish or baking pan and fill with hot water to about half-way up the sides, or as high as you can go and still move the thing without spilling hot water on yourself.
• Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let set for another 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and the water-bath and let cool.
• Plating: Run a butter-knife around the outside edge of the flan. Place a plate large enough to handle the liquid caramel over the flan and invert. Chill the flan for at least an hour before serving.
• Enjoy!