Pumpkin Creme Brulee
Description
Creme brûlée is one of my favorite desserts. Add pumpkin and Pinch of Fancy’s Apple Pumpkin Spice and you will surely have a crowd favorite. This recipe calls for canned pumpkin but by all means you can roast and puree pumpkin, buttercup, or another one of your favorite winter squashes as a substitute. Just pay attention to the water content. You don’t want your squash to be too wet.
Ingredients
Sugar and spice mix for dusting
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 375°
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In a medium size saucepan add the heavy cream, brown sugar, and apple pumpkin spice and put on the stove at medium heat. Stir to incorporate and make sure the cream doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pan.
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Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl add the egg yolks, vanilla, white sugar, pumpkin puree and triple sec and mix thoroughly with a whisk.
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When the cream has gotten warm enough it will form a skin on the surface. Slowly add the hot cream to the egg mixture in stages while continuously whisking so you don’t cook the egg.
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Once all the ingredients have been incorporated together, strain the mixture into something that you can pour like a liquid measuring cup or pitcher.
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Place your creme brûlée dishes into a large roasting pan. Fill each dish with the mixture. Don’t overfill.
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Pour hot water into the roasting pan taking care not to spill any water into the brulee dishes. You want the water to be no more than halfway up the outside of the brûlée dishes.
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Put the whole roasting pan carefully into the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes. The mixture should be completely set. It shouldn’t move if you shake the pan. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing the dishes from the water bath.
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Refrigerate brûlée until ready to serve.
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When ready to serve, mix the sugar and spice mix together and dust the tops of each brûlée. Using a blow torch, caramelize the sugar on top to melt.
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Allow sugar to harden, then grab a spoon and enjoy.
Note
When incorporating the hot cream into the sugar and egg mixture, I find it convenient to roll up a towel and place it under the bowl to hold the bowl steady while I whisk with one hand and slowly add the cream with the other. This helps to prevent the bowl from rocking.
If you decide to cook your own squash and you find it to be too moist, put it in a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer and let it hang and drip dry for an hour or so.
