Seriously Simple: A light dessert for Thanksgiving
You’ve enjoyed your Thanksgiving feast and still have room for something sweet. That’s where this dessert comes in. No heavy pie crusts here, just a pumpkin custard. An American favorite, pumpkin pie filling, pairs up with a Mexican-style flan to solve the dessert dilemma on holiday tables and throughout the cooler months.
This flan has all the components of a satisfying dessert while being a bit lighter than the usual pies and rich desserts we associate with holiday indulgence. Making the caramel is easy to accomplish if you just follow my instructions. Use either regular evaporated milk or the skim version.
You’ll notice that the flan is baked in a water bath. That is to keep the custard baking at an even temperature. When there is so much last-minute cooking to be done on Turkey Day, it’s best to make this at least a day ahead. This will give time for the flavors to marry and the flan to reach its proper creamy texture. If you want to make the flan in smaller ramekins, cook them for only half the time of the larger version.
Pumpkin Caramel Flan
Serves 6
For the caramel:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
For the custard:
1 cup canned pumpkin puree, unsweetened and without spices
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