Pumpkin Flans In Pastry Shells Recipes

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.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Set out six 5-inch-wide, 6-ounce ceramic pie dishes. Fill a large bowl three-quarters-full with cold water, and place it near the stove. (This cold-water bath will be used to stop the caramel from cooking.) Combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/2 cup cool water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Boil, brushing the sides occasionally with a wet pastry brush, until syrup turns deep amber (330 to 350 degrees on a candy thermometer). Don't stir the sugar once it's boiling; this only encourages recrystallization, which occurs when the sugar does not dissolve evenly. Quickly dunk bottom of pan in cold water, then remove from bowl.
• Quickly divide caramel among pie dishes; swirl to coat the bottoms. Set dishes aside to cool, about 15 minutes. (This can be done several hours ahead of time; the dishes can be left at room temperature.)
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pour milk into saucepan over high heat. Bring just to a boil; set aside. In a bowl, combine pumpkin puree, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, ginger, spices, salt, eggs, and egg yolks. Mix in vanilla and milk; pass through fine sieve, discarding solids. Divide mixture between the dishes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold them.
• Place baking sheet on center rack of oven; loosely drape a piece of foil over top of baking sheet (do not crimp or seal edges). Lift a corner of the foil and pour very hot water into sheet pan to reach 1/2 inch up the sides of the pie dishes. Bake 60 to 65 minutes, or until center of flan is nearly set; a thin-bladed knife inserted into center should come out clean. Remove the dishes from the water bath, dry underside and let slightly cool on wire rack. Refrigerate to set, several hours or overnight. (Let the water bath cool completely before removing it from the oven.)
• To unmold flan, run a knife carefully around edges, without cutting into flan. Place plate over top of pie pan and invert. Flan should fall with caramel sauce surrounding the flan. Serve with whipped cream. Garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Steps:

• In a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar begins to melt. Cook without stirring until amber, about 20 minutes. Quickly pour into 6 ungreased 6-oz. ramekins or custard cups, tilting to coat bottoms of dishes. Let stand for 10 minutes., In a small saucepan, heat milk until bubbles form around sides of pan; remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, egg white, salt, spices and remaining 2/3 cup sugar until blended but not foamy. Slowly stir in hot milk. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla. Slowly pour into prepared ramekins., Cover each ramekin with foil. Place trivet insert and 1 cup water in pressure cooker. Set ramekins on trivet. Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure cook on high for 13 minutes. Quick-release pressure., Centers should just be set (mixture will jiggle) and a thermometer inserted in flan should read at least 160°. Carefully remove ramekins. Cool 10 minutes; refrigerate, covered, at least 4 hours. Carefully run a knife around edges of ramekins to loosen; invert each dish onto a rimmed serving dish. If desired, sprinkle with additional cinnamon. Serve immediately.

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.