Recipe by Helen Dollaghan, from the Sept. 16, 1979, edition of the Denver Post. You’ll need a 350-degree oven for this. Dollaghan wrote, “In Spain, flan is a burnt-sugar custard served with a flaming brandy sauce. Elsewhere, the name is applied to a variety of custards, including those made with pastry shells and jellied fruit. This recipe is similar to a delicately flavored pumpkin pie without a crust.” Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 can (1 pound) pumpkin
1 can (13 ounces) evaporated milk
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)
Pecans (optional)
Directions
Place one cup of the sugar in a small, heavy skillet. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is melted and turns brown. Immediately pour caramelized sugar over bottom of springform pan, 10 inches in diameter and 2 1/2 inches deep, which has been well-buttered on bottom and sides. Let stand at room temperature to harden while preparing remainder of recipe. Beat together remaining 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Mix in pumpkin. Add evaporated milk. Beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl with spatula occasionally. Pour mixture over burnt sugar. Place pan in a larger pan that has about 1/2-inch of hot water in it (note: you may want to wrap springform pan with foil to fight seepage). Bake, uncovered, in oven preheated to 350 degrees about 1 1/2 hours or until flan starts to pull away from sides of pan. Remove flan from pan of water. Cool flan on wire rack to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours or until chilled. Run a spatula around edge of pan. Release springform. Invert flan on serving plate. Garnish with whipped cream and pecans, if desired. Cut in wedges to serve.
*Each week, we uncover a recipe from The Denver Post vault. Today, an unconventional idea for Thanksgiving dessert: Pumpkin Flan.
