Pumpkin Flans In Pastry Shells Food

PUMPKIN FLAN IN A PASTRY SHELL

Steps:

• Have ready eight 4-inch metal pie pans, and prepare an ice-water bath.
• In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water; set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Cover, and bring to boil; cook until condensation washes down sides. Remove cover; boil until syrup turns deep amber in color. Quickly submerge pan in ice-water bath.
• Working quickly, divide caramel among the pie pans; swirl each to coat bottom. Set aside to cool.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pour milk into a saucepan, and set over high heat. Bring just to a boil; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, whole eggs, and egg yolks. Mix in vanilla and warm milk; pass through fine sieve, discarding solids. Divide mixture among pie pans, filling two-thirds full. Transfer pie pans to a roasting pan.
• Loosely drape piece of foil over top of roasting pan, transfer to oven, and add enough boiling water to the roasting pan to come halfway up sides of pie pans (always fill roasting pan with boiling water after transferring to oven, to avoid burning). Bake until centers are nearly set -- a thin-bladed knife inserted into centers should come out clean -- 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer roasting pan to wire rack to cool. Remove flans from water, and dry bottoms of pie pans. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate flans overnight.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Have ready four 5-inch flan rings or fluted tartlet tins; line two baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out eight 7-inch circles. Ease a circle into each flan ring, letting excess drape over top. Fit dough into bottom corners of rings, using knuckles to work dough from top down, not from the center out. Using a rolling pin, roll over tops of rings, creating neat tops and removing any excess dough. Prick bottom of each shell several times with a fork. Transfer shells to baking sheets, and chill 30 minutes.
• Line shells with foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes, and remove foil and weights. Bake until shells are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack, and let shells cool, 1 hour. Remove shells from rings.
• When ready to serve, place shells on 4 dessert plates. Unmold flan by running a knife carefully around edge of pan, and invert it over a shell; caramel sauce will flow, filling shell. Repeat with remaining shells and flan. Top with whipped cream or creme fraiche, if desired.

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:

• Arrange 8 (4-ounce) ramekins inside a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Spray ramekins lightly with cooking spray.
• In a small saucepan, heat 1/3 cup sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and forms a medium-brown caramel, about 7 minutes. Working quickly, transfer 2 teaspoons of the caramel to each of the ramekins, swirling as soon as you spoon in the caramel (it will harden quickly). Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine milk and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until warm. Reduce heat to a low simmer and keep milk warm. Meanwhile, bring about 4 cups water to a boil and keep hot. Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Fold pumpkin into egg mixture. Then fold into evaporated milk. Divide filling among ramekins, then place baking sheet in oven. Pour hot water into baking pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until flan is just set. Let cool. Place a dessert plate on top of each ramekin and invert; flan should slide out, and syrup should flow onto sides of the dish.

PUMPKIN FLANS IN PASTRY SHELLS

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath. Combine 2 cups sugar and the water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Cover pan; bring to a boil. Leave cover on until condensation washes down sides of pan. Remove cover; boil until syrup turns deep amber. Quickly dunk bottom of pan in ice water, and remove. Rapidly divide caramel among eight 4-inch ramekins or custard cups. Swirl to coat bottoms. Let cool. (This can be done several hours ahead of time, and ramekins left at room temperature.)
• Preheat oven to 325°F. In a saucepan, bring milk just to a boil. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk to combine pumpkin, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, whole eggs, and egg yolks until smooth. Mix in vanilla and hot milk; pass through a fine sieve, discarding solids. Pour mixture into caramel-lined ramekins, filling each 1 inch high; transfer ramekins to a large roasting pan.
• Place roasting pan in oven; carefully pour very hot water into roasting pan to reach halfway up outsides of ramekins. Loosely tent with foil. Bake 60 to 65 minutes, or until centers of flans are nearly set; a thin-bladed knife inserted into center should come out clean. Carefully transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate overnight, covered with plastic wrap.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Place eight 5-inch flan rings or tart pans on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out eight 7-inch rounds. Fit dough into flan rings; trim flush with rims. Pierce bottoms of shells all over with a fork. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Line shells with parchment; fill each with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes, and remove weights and parchment; bake 6 to 8 minutes more, or until shells are golden brown. Let shells cool completely on wire rack. Remove from flan rings.
• To unmold each flan, dip ramekin bottoms in a pan of hot water, and pat them dry with a towel. Carefully run a knife around inside edge to loosen flan. Place a pastry shell on a plate. Gently invert flan into shell so it is centered, with caramel sauce filling edges. Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche, if desired.