Cuban Pumpkin Flan (A Healthy Alternative to Pumpkin Pie) W/ Mul

GoldsmithLissa's Note:

A Latin (and healthier!) twist on an American holiday classic....serve with a glass of sipping rum: Zacapa or Zaya Tweak the combination of seasonings to your liking...I've even added a little cayenne pepper, almond and/or rum extract. Also try adding cayenne and/or some Captain Morgan rum to the caramel mixture! I've also created a decorative topping of crushed pecans toasted with butter, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper! At times atop a dollop of cream cheese icing on each slice. You can also serve with a gravy dish of cream cheese icing on the side and fold in the spiced pecans! I have also made an icing of marzipan! See my other recipe! Nota Bene: This dessert can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 8-12

Yield: 1.0 pie

• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups fat-free half-and-half cream
• ½ cup unflavored canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cinnamon sticks or 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon mixed spice (see below)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Optional Variations

• 1 tablespoon dark rum (Captain Morgan or other dark or spiced rum) or 1 tablespoon rum extract or 1 tablespoon almond extract

Mixed Spice (have fun experimenting or use pumpkin spice mixture)

• 1 -2 teaspoon nutmeg or 1 -2 teaspoon allspice or 1 -2 teaspoon ginger or 1 -2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a heavy saucepan melt 1 cup sugar over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is amber in color and has turned into a smooth liquid. Immediately remove the syrup from heat and pour evenly into the bottom of a heated 9-inch glass pie plate, 2-quart casserole dish, or a cake mold. (To heat the dish, pour hot or boiling water into it and let stand for a minute or two, then drain and dry completely before adding the sugar syrup.).
3. In a heavy saucepan, bring the milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon stick or spice mixture, and salt to a boil over medium heat and remove from heat immediately. Discard the cinnamon stick.
4. In a large mixing bowl beat together the eggs, egg yolks, remaining sugar, and vanilla. While the beater is running, slowly add ½ cup of the hot milk mixture and beat until eggs are tempered, then slowly add the remaining hot milk.
5. Pour the mixture into the dish over the hardened sugar syrup and place in a baking pan. Add hot water to halfway up the side of the dish. Place in oven and cook for 1 hour or until the custard has set.
6. Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven and remove the flan dish from the hot water bath and allow to cool. While the flan is still warm, run a knife around the edge to loosen it.
7. To remove flan, place a large, deep plate face down on top of the dish and invert the flan onto the plate. Make sure the plate is large enough to hold the flan and has enough of a well to hold the syrup.
8. Flan can be served warm or chilled.
9. Note: The flan can be prepared 2 days in advance and kept covered and refrigerated.