caramel pumpkin flan

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosted Grapes

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides and swirling pan, about 12 minutes. Immediately pour caramel into 7- to 8-cup soufflé dish (7 1/2x3 1/2 inches), tilting and rotating dish to coat bottom and 2 inches up sides thickly. Place dish in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan.

Whisk pumpkin, condensed milk, sugar, and spices in large bowl to blend. Whisk in eggs and yolks, then cream and vanilla. Pour custard into prepared dish. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come 1 1/2 inches up sides of dish.

Bake flan until deep brown on top and firmly set in center and blade of small sharp knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 2 hours 10 minutes. Remove flan from water; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate uncovered until very cold, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

Cut around flan to loosen. Place platter on flan dish. Holding platter and flan dish together, invert, allowing flan to settle onto platter. Scrape out any caramel syrup remaining in dish and drizzle over flan. Surround flan with frosted grapes. Cut flan into wedges; serve with grapes.

Serving Size: 10

Variations:

Crisp European rolled cookies would be nice alongside this large, impressive custard.

Use traditional flan recipe and substitute some of the cream with pumpkin for a lighter pumpkin taste.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving (including red pepper puree): calories, 200; total fat, 8 g; saturated fat, 1 g; cholesterol, 0; fiber, 8 g