Weekends are the perfect time for trying new recipes, learning new tricks, and enjoying great food with your loved ones. Flavors of San Juan Food & Culture Tours shares with you one of our favorite Puerto Rican recipes, Flan de Calabaza (Pumpkin Flan). We like to think that no two flans are ever the same, so even if you’re not a huge flan fan, definitely give this new twist on a classic Caribbean dessert a try. If there’s any flan that can make you into a believer, it’s this one!
Pumpkin Flan
by Chef Kathy Libier
Ingredients:
2 cups canned pumpkin pure OR
2 cups fresh pumpkin (roasted in the oven at 350*F until tender)
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
1 can (14oz) condensed milk
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ cup sugar (caramel)
½ cup water (caramel)
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350*F
2. Caramel sauce: Heat the sugar and the water over medium heat until it turns an amber caramel color, swirling occasionally but not stirring.
***Be extremely cautious not to get burn yourself with the sauce.
3. Carefully pour the hot caramel into the flan mold, swirling it around to coat the bottom and sides. Be careful as the mold will begin to get hot. Set aside to cool.
4. Whisk evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla, then continue whisking adding one egg at a time until all eggs and ingredients are combined.
5. Pour the mix through a strainer into the caramelized mold to prevent any unmixed egg or eggshells from entering the final product.
6. Place a large pan (large enough to fit the hold the flan mold) in the oven with enough water to cover the flan half way up the mold, this pan will be used as the double boiler. Pre-heat the oven to 350*F. Place the flan mold inside the larger pan with water in the oven.
7. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the flan is still jiggly but not runny. The flan should jiggle evenly. If the middle moves more than the outside bake for another 5 minutes.
8. Carefully remove flan from the oven and let cool for at least 1 hr. Refrigerate for at least 1 hr. before serving.
(To prevent burns you can remove the water pan once the oven and water has cooled down.)
9. To remove flan from the pan, run a knife around the edge of the flan. Place a plate upside down over the mold, and quickly invert the mold. The caramel layer helps the flan to easily slide out of the mold, and the extra caramel will run down the sides of the flan and pool around it.
