Pumpkin Pots De Crème With Amaretti Ginger Crunch Food

PUMPKIN POTS DE CRèME WITH AMARETTI-GINGER CRUNCH

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring pumpkin puree cream and vanilla bean halves to a boil; set aside for 15 minutes, and then remove vanilla bean halves. In a medium metal bowl or the top of a double boiler, combine egg yolks and sugar. Place bowl over a pot of barely simmering water (make sure bottom of bowl doesn't touch water). Whisk constantly until mixture forms a ribbon when you lift the whisk, about 6 or 8 minutes. Be careful not to overheat, or egg mixture could curdle.
• Whisk in hot pumpkin mixture, and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until mixture has consistency of thick cream, 40 to 50 minutes. Mixture should gently steam; be careful not to overheat. Add cinnamon and nutmeg, if using, and mix well. Strain into a pitcher or a bowl with a pouring lip.
• Divide mixture among 10 to 12 teacups, ramekins or custard cups. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Just before serving combine amaretti crumbs and ginger, and sprinkle on top of each dessert.

MAPLE PUMPKIN POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Whisk together cream, milk, syrup, and pumpkin in a heavy saucepan and bring just to a simmer over moderate heat.
• Whisk together yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl.
• Add hot pumpkin mixture to yolks in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup, then divide among custard cups (you may have some custard left over, depending on size of cups). Bake custards in a hot water bath, pan covered tightly with foil, in middle of oven until a knife inserted in center of a custard comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer custards to a rack to cool completely. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.

PUMPKIN POT DE CREME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Combine the whipping cream, 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin puree, and the vanilla bean pod and seeds in a saucepan over medium-low heat; bring to a simmer; stir in the rum. Remove from the heat cover and stand 15 minutes.
• Beat together the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the cream mixture. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the cream mixture to make a custard; stir; simmer 3 to 5 minutes.
• Arrange 6 ramekins in a shallow baking dish. Pour the custard evenly into the ramekins. Pour boiling water into the baking dish to half-way up the sides of the ramekins. Loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the custard is nearly set with a dime-sized circle of jiggly liquid remaining in the center of each ramekin, 25 to 40 minutes. Allow to sit, loosely covered with aluminum foil, another 30 minutes.
• Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap; chill in refrigerator overnight. Top each custard with pecans and maple syrup to serve.

PUMPKIN POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix well.
• Spoon into eight (6 ounce) custard cups.
• Place in pan filled with 1 inch hot water.
• Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool.
• Sprinkle with nutmeg.

GINGER POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F. Combine the cream and fresh ginger in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until steam rises. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Beat the yolks and sugar together until light. Remove the ginger slices from the cream and pour about a quarter of the cream into the egg mixture, then pour the sugar-egg mixture into the cream and stir. If you're using the candied ginger, add it now. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and put the ramekins in a baking dish; pour water into the dish to come halfway up the side of the ramekins and cover with foil.
• Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the center is barely set. (Heavy cream sets fastest, half-and-half more slowly.) Cool or chill, then serve.