How To Make Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

Thanksgiving Dessert Recipe

"Crème brûlée" is French for burnt cream. And indeed, the hallmark of a classic creme brulee is its delicate shell of crispy torched sugar, and creamy custard below. Traditional creme brulee is flavored with vanilla, chocolate, fruit, and/or flavored liqueurs. For Thanksgiving, you can serve decadent pumpkin custards for dessert. For this pumpkin creme brulee recipe below, you need custard ramekins and a small torch. The yield is about 6 or 7 idividual pumpkin custards.

Ingredients:

6 or 7 creme brulee ramekins
creme brulee torch
3 cups heavy cream
1 can of pumpkin (about 14 oz)
6 egg yolks
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a sauce pan, combine 2 cups of cream, one can of pumpkin, and the vanilla. Mix it well with a wooden spoon. Heat the cream mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.

In a separate bowl, whisk 6 egg yolks with 1 cup of cream, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp ginger. Slowly pour the heated cream/pumpkin mixture into the cream/egg mixture. Stir constantly to blend the pumpkin custard well.

Divide the custard among the creme brulee ramekins, place the ramekins in a cake pan, and fill the cake pan with enough hot water so that the custard cups are halfway submerged.

Bake the pumpkin creme brulee for 40 minutes at 325°F. Remove them from the oven promptly. When they have cooled, cover the tops with plastic wrap and refrigerate them overnight.

Before serving, combine the remaining 3/4 cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over the pumpkin creme brulees. Place a creme brulee cup on a fire resistant surface (e.g., your stovetop) and pass the torch flame over the top of the ramekin, back and forth, just enough to melt the sugar. Creme brulee is best served cold, so don't heat the sugar for too long or else the custard will get warm.