Pumpkin Flan

Another pumpkin recipe. #Sorrynotsorry. 

But seriously, how amazing would this pumpkin flan be as the final note to an intimate Thanksgiving gathering? I can't even. It's elegant, lighter and far more imaginative than the standard pumpkin pie that we've all had about a million times throughout our lifetimes, am I right?

I love the idea of individual servings if your Thanksgiving table has say, 8 guests or less. Any more than that and you're just asking for a mild panic attack- and no one wants that. But for a smaller affair I think it's a fine idea. It makes people feel special when they receive their own fancy little dessert! 

Bonus: It's even easier to make than pumpkin pie! And since this is basically just a pumpkin pie filling of sorts minus the crust, no one will even miss the traditional standby. Plus, with a yummy built-in caramel sauce, your guests will surely shower you with ooohs and ahhhs.

I chose to decorate my pumpkin flan with pretty jewel-like pomegranate seeds, but don't stop there- fresh whipped cream and toasted pumpkin seeds would also make delightful accents to this dainty dessert.

serves 6

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 cup sugar, divided

1 cup heavy cream

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup pureed or canned pumpkin

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. salt

Pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray six ramekins with nonstick cooking spray and arrange ramekins in a baking pan with high sides. 

2. Heat 1/2 cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until sugar caramelizes and turns dark brown, about 7-8 minutes. Working quickly so that sugar does not harden, divide caramel equally among ramekins.

3. Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside. Add remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, eggs, egg yolks, pumpkin, vanilla, spices and salt to a medium sized bowl and mix until smooth. Slowly add hot cream to mixture, whisking until combined.

4. Divide filling evenly among ramekins and fill baking pan halfway with boiling water. Transfer baking pan to oven and bake until custard is just set, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

5. When flans have cooled, place a dessert plate on top of each ramekin and invert (carefully run a butter knife around the edge if flans do not slide out easily). Allow caramel syrup to pour over the top of each flan and garnish with pomegranate seeds if desired. 

Read More

Apple Snickerdoodle Bran Muffins

These are quite possibly the best muffins I've ever made. On the first try too! Just nailed it. I love it when that happens.

Usually it takes some tinkering to get a recipe just right, but it must have been a lucky day for me because these apple snickerdoodle bran muffins turned out light, fluffy, soft and so moist, even well into the next day.

Snickerdoodles just might be very favorite type of cookie; I love their soft chewiness, and who can resist that sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top? So the idea of reinterpreting snickerdoodles in muffin form was something I had to try. I added apples for a nice Fall vibe and threw some bran into the mix to keep things at least slightly healthier than the cookie version. But with a cinnamon sugar swirled into the batter along with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top of each muffin, these muffins are unmistakably snickerdoodle-y.

Paired with a smear of butter, snacking on these muffins with a warm cup of coffee over the last couple of days has easily been the high point of my week.

Is that a teeny bit sad? I don't care.

makes 6 jumbo muffins or 12 regular muffins
Ingredients
for the cinnamon sugar:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

for the brown sugar swirl:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

for the muffins:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup bran
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and diced

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill a muffin tin with paper liners. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Set aside. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons flour 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
2. For the muffins, combine flour, bran, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, milk and vanilla extract.
3. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix until ingredients are well incorporated. Gradually add apples and brown sugar swirl mixture in a swirling motion througout batter.
4. Fill muffin cups until nearly full and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean (jumbo muffins will take longer to bake compared to regular muffins).

Read More