Thursday Desserts
Some days, it doesn't much matter what kind of yumminess you get, as long as it's some form of dessert. That's where today's post comes in. There's a little of this, a little of that, and a whole lot of yum. Check out the Pumpkin Flan with Chocolate Crust, the Baklava (which would have gotten my dad's attention), and the rest of today's yumminess. Enjoy!
BANANA “ICE CREAM” FAKE OUT
This comes from Rachel Ray, of The Food Network's 30 Minute Meals. Total Time: 5 min; Prep: 5 min; Yield: 3 to 4 cups; Level: Easy
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/banana-ice-cream-fakeout-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
3 bananas, peeled, cut into chunks and frozen
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, puree the bananas, adding the milk bit by bit as needed, until whipped to a creamy consistency, about 2 minutes.
Scoop into a bowl and top with the chocolate syrup and peanuts.
TUMBLE-JUMBLE STRAWBERRY TART
This is from Dorie Greenspan at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, “I first had a strawberry tart like this one more than 10 years ago at the Paris cafe La Palette, and I’ve been making my own version of it ever since. It’s simply a crust slicked with some jam and then topped with an abundance of berries; whipped cream or crème fraîche is optional. The recipe is straightforward, but the construction is genius. You bake the crust, which is both crisp and tender, to a beautiful golden color and then set it aside. (Use the scraps of dough to make cookies; sprinkle with sugar before baking.) When you’re ready for dessert, you cut and finish only as many servings as you need, ensuring that the crust will always have great texture and the berries will always be fresh and bright. You could use a store-bought crust, but there are so few components in this dessert, it’s good to make each one count.”
Yield: 6 servings; Time: 45 minutes, plus chilling and cooling.
This was beautifully featured on “My Summer Jam: An Update of the French Fruit Tart”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020343-tumble-jumble-strawberry-tart.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
9 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for greasing
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Topping:
1/2 cup strawberry jam
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled
Granulated sugar, as needed (optional)
Whipped cream or crème fraîche, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Put the flour, both sugars, salt and lemon zest, if you’re using it, in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to blend. Scatter the butter on top; pulse the butter into the dry ingredients until you’ve got a bowlful of curds. At first the dough will look like cornmeal, but it will change as you go, so work in long pulses — you might need as many as 20 — and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl often.
Whisk the yolk and vanilla together, and add in three additions, pulsing after each. Pulse just until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl; it should form moist clumps and hold together when pinched. Turn it out onto a counter, knead it into a compact ball and flatten it into a disk between two sheets of parchment or wax paper.
Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle. If it’s cold enough, fit it into a 9- to 9-1/2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, prick the bottom with a fork and trim the top even with the pan’s rim; if it’s not cold, chill it until it’s workable. Refrigerate the crust in the pan for at least 1 hour (or cover and freeze up to 2 months; bake straight from the freezer).
Heat oven to 400. Place the dough in its pan on a baking sheet, cover with a piece of buttered foil or parchment and fill with rice.
Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully remove the foil or paper and rice. Bake, uncovered, until the crust is golden, another 8-10 minutes. Let cool, at least 30 minutes.
If you’re serving 6, cover the bottom of the crust with a layer of jam, and then cut the tart into wedges. (Otherwise, cut the number of wedges you need, and spread each portion with jam.) Halve or quarter as many berries as you’d like — be generous — and if you want, toss with a little granulated sugar. Place each wedge of crust on a plate, and spoon over berries, letting them tumble where they might. If you’d like, top each serving with whipped cream, or pass the cream at the table.
BAKLAVA
This is from Naz Deravian in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Naz wrote, "Baklava is an iconic pastry that defies borders: It’s beloved in Turkey, Greece, Central Asia, the Balkans and beyond, and each of these regions boasts its own variety. This version, with its honey syrup, leans into the Greek version. Store-bought phyllo makes preparing a pan of homemade baklava much easier, but it does require a little patience. There are no cutting corners when it comes to buttering every couple of sheets of phyllo, but your efforts will yield shatteringly thin layers of pastry. Making and chilling the syrup in advance of pouring it on top of the pastry is an important step, as it allows the baklava to fully absorb the sticky sweetness, reducing pooling on the bottom of the pan."
Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, plus at least 4 hours resting; Yield: 30 to 40 pieces
To view this yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024353-baklava.
Ingredients
For the Honey Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup honey
1 strip lemon peel
1 to 2 tablespoons orange blossom water (optional), to taste
For the Pastry and Filling
1 pound frozen phyllo (2 sleeves), thawed (see Tip)
1 pound shelled walnuts (or a mix of walnuts, pistachios and almonds)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
Preparation
Prepare the honey syrup: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water with the sugar and honey. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low, add the lemon peel and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the syrup thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the lemon peel, then stir in the orange blossom water (if using). Set syrup aside to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
About 20 minutes before assembling the baklava, remove the thawed phyllo from the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature. (Do not remove the phyllo from its wrapped packaging until ready to use or it will dry out.)
Prepare the filling: Place half the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl and repeat with the remaining walnuts. Mix the sugar and cinnamon into the walnuts.
Heat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center position. Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Lightly dampen a clean kitchen towel or a couple of layers of paper towels to cover the phyllo and keep it moist.
Assemble the baklava: Generously brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some of the melted butter. Open 1 sleeve of phyllo and carefully unroll it. Place the baking dish on top of the phyllo and, with a sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim the phyllo as needed to fit the baking dish. Cover the phyllo immediately with the damp towel.
Lay 2 phyllo sheets on the bottom of the baking dish. Generously brush the top layer with the melted butter. Lay another 2 sheets on top and brush with more butter, repeating until the first sleeve of dough is used and covering the unused sheets with the damp towel in between layering. (It’s OK if a little dough tears.)
Using a large spoon, scatter the chopped nuts evenly across the top and gently pack it down. Open the second sleeve of phyllo and trim as needed. Repeat layering as before, with 2 sheets of phyllo and butter, on top of the nuts, until all the dough has been used.
Fill a small bowl with cold water. Using the tip of a very sharp knife (a serrated knife works well), first score the pastry as a guide. Make 6 to 7 even cuts along the length of the short side of the pan (each about 1-1/2 to 2 inches apart, depending on how large you’d like the baklava pieces). Next, make diagonal cuts, about 1 inch apart, for diamond shapes. (Alternatively, you can simply cut the baklava into squares.) After the pastry is scored, repeat the cuts, this time slicing right through to the bottom of the pan so each piece can be easily removed once baked and cooled. (To help hold down the dough while cutting, dip your fingertips opposite of your slicing hand into the bowl of cold water.)
Bake until the baklava is deeply golden, 35 to 50 minutes, rotating the baking dish halfway. Starting at the 35-minute mark, check on the baklava every 5 minutes to monitor doneness.
Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot baklava, including the corners. Set aside to cool completely before the pieces are removed from the pan. Baklava is best served after it has rested and the syrup has been fully absorbed, 4 to 6 hours. Cover and store at room temperature for 3 days, after which you can transfer to the fridge for up to 1 week.
Tip
To thaw frozen phyllo, remove the rolls from the box but keep them in their plastic sleeves. Place in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can thaw at room temperature according to package instructions.
LEMON POSSET
This yumminess is from mrslarkin at Food52. Mrslarkin wrote, "I’ve been intrigued by Lemon Posset recipes for a while now. In Ye Olde English days of yore, it was a milk drink thickened with wine. My Posset recipe is so simple, as they all are, really. Using just three ingredients, it seems almost magical, setting up immediately. The wonders of food science in front of your very eyes. Curdled milk never tasted so good."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Serves 4
To view this online, go to https://food52.com/recipes/3060-lemon-posset.
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
In a small saucepan, heat cream and sugar to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Continue boiling for 5 minutes. Watch the heat – don’t let the cream boil over.
Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let cool, about 15 minutes.
Pour even amounts into four ramekins. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until set.
Serve with unsweetened whipped cream, or shortbread cookies to dunk.
LEMON AND TANGERINE POSSET
This is from Claire Lower, senior food editor at LifeHacker. For this yumminess, Claire wrote, "If you saw 'lemon curdled cream' listed on a dessert menu, you’d probably pass over it in favor of lava cake. Understandably: 'Curdled' is an inherently unsexy word. But while not all curdling is desirable, there are many instances in which curdled dairy is a good thing. Cheese is a big one. This sweet, creamy, four-ingredient lemon posset is another."
She goes on to write, "And that’s really all there is to making posset. You boil some heavy cream with sugar, then add lemon juice and let it sit until tiny curds form, resulting in a tangy, sweet dessert with a texture similar to crème brûlée. It is delightful—almost like key lime pie filling, if key lime pie was flavored with lemons, or a soft lemon pudding made without corn starch, flour, eggs, gelatin, or any other thickening agents."
To view this online (and to read all of what Claire wrote), go to https://lifehacker.com/make-this-easy-creamy-four-ingredient-lemon-dessert-1850409568.
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh tangerine juice
Directions
Measure out the cream, making sure to strain away any clumps of butter fat. Add the cream to a small sauce pan with the sugar, then bring to a boil over medium heat, watching constantly and stirring to melt the sugar. Let boil for five minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the juice.
Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes, then divide amongst four ramekins, or tea cups, or these little bodega glasses (which is what I did). Chill in the fridge for at least two hours, and serve cold with whatever finishing touches you desire.
PUMPKIN FLAN WITH CHOCOLATE CRUST
This is from "Pumpkin Flan Puts Fall Flavors in Latin Classic" by Linda Cicero in the Miami Herald, and can be viewed online at http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food-drink/cooks-corner/article3416212.html.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup or 4 ounces cream cheese
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
5 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or canela
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch kosher or coarse sea salt
1-1/2 cups coarsely crushed chocolate graham crackers
Directions
In a medium saucepan, set over medium-low heat, heat sugar, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until fully dissolved and caramel colored. Quickly pour caramel into the bottoms of 10 individual ramekins, swirling around to coat the bottom of each one. Work swiftly as caramel hardens fast.
In a food processor or blender combine half-and-half, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt and puree until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into prepared ramekins, filling to 1/4-inch below the rim. Top each ramekin with 2 generous tablespoons of crushed crackers; don’t press them down. Place flans in a large baking dish or roasting pan; fill pan with hot water halfway up the height of the ramekins.
Cover the pan lightly with aluminum foil. Carefully place into the oven and bake for 50 minutes; flans should look completely set. Remove from the oven, remove the aluminum foil and remove each ramekin from the water bath. Let the flans cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. When ready to eat, run a small knife around the edge of each flan all the way to the bottom. Invert dessert plate over ramekin, flip over and shake slightly to release. Leave the ramekin on top of the flan for a minute or so, so all the caramel sauce can run over the flan.
Per serving: 390 calories (30 percent from fat), 13.3 g fat (6.8 g saturated, 4.2 g monounsaturated), 121 mg cholesterol, 0 g protein, 6.4 g carbohydrates, 1.2 g fiber, 203 mg sodium.
BANANA “ICE CREAM” FAKE OUT
This comes from Rachel Ray, of The Food Network's 30 Minute Meals. Total Time: 5 min; Prep: 5 min; Yield: 3 to 4 cups; Level: Easy
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/banana-ice-cream-fakeout-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
3 bananas, peeled, cut into chunks and frozen
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, puree the bananas, adding the milk bit by bit as needed, until whipped to a creamy consistency, about 2 minutes.
Scoop into a bowl and top with the chocolate syrup and peanuts.
TUMBLE-JUMBLE STRAWBERRY TART
This is from Dorie Greenspan at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, “I first had a strawberry tart like this one more than 10 years ago at the Paris cafe La Palette, and I’ve been making my own version of it ever since. It’s simply a crust slicked with some jam and then topped with an abundance of berries; whipped cream or crème fraîche is optional. The recipe is straightforward, but the construction is genius. You bake the crust, which is both crisp and tender, to a beautiful golden color and then set it aside. (Use the scraps of dough to make cookies; sprinkle with sugar before baking.) When you’re ready for dessert, you cut and finish only as many servings as you need, ensuring that the crust will always have great texture and the berries will always be fresh and bright. You could use a store-bought crust, but there are so few components in this dessert, it’s good to make each one count.”
Yield: 6 servings; Time: 45 minutes, plus chilling and cooling.
This was beautifully featured on “My Summer Jam: An Update of the French Fruit Tart”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020343-tumble-jumble-strawberry-tart.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
9 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for greasing
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Topping:
1/2 cup strawberry jam
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled
Granulated sugar, as needed (optional)
Whipped cream or crème fraîche, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Put the flour, both sugars, salt and lemon zest, if you’re using it, in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to blend. Scatter the butter on top; pulse the butter into the dry ingredients until you’ve got a bowlful of curds. At first the dough will look like cornmeal, but it will change as you go, so work in long pulses — you might need as many as 20 — and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl often.
Whisk the yolk and vanilla together, and add in three additions, pulsing after each. Pulse just until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl; it should form moist clumps and hold together when pinched. Turn it out onto a counter, knead it into a compact ball and flatten it into a disk between two sheets of parchment or wax paper.
Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle. If it’s cold enough, fit it into a 9- to 9-1/2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, prick the bottom with a fork and trim the top even with the pan’s rim; if it’s not cold, chill it until it’s workable. Refrigerate the crust in the pan for at least 1 hour (or cover and freeze up to 2 months; bake straight from the freezer).
Heat oven to 400. Place the dough in its pan on a baking sheet, cover with a piece of buttered foil or parchment and fill with rice.
Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully remove the foil or paper and rice. Bake, uncovered, until the crust is golden, another 8-10 minutes. Let cool, at least 30 minutes.
If you’re serving 6, cover the bottom of the crust with a layer of jam, and then cut the tart into wedges. (Otherwise, cut the number of wedges you need, and spread each portion with jam.) Halve or quarter as many berries as you’d like — be generous — and if you want, toss with a little granulated sugar. Place each wedge of crust on a plate, and spoon over berries, letting them tumble where they might. If you’d like, top each serving with whipped cream, or pass the cream at the table.
BAKLAVA
This is from Naz Deravian in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Naz wrote, "Baklava is an iconic pastry that defies borders: It’s beloved in Turkey, Greece, Central Asia, the Balkans and beyond, and each of these regions boasts its own variety. This version, with its honey syrup, leans into the Greek version. Store-bought phyllo makes preparing a pan of homemade baklava much easier, but it does require a little patience. There are no cutting corners when it comes to buttering every couple of sheets of phyllo, but your efforts will yield shatteringly thin layers of pastry. Making and chilling the syrup in advance of pouring it on top of the pastry is an important step, as it allows the baklava to fully absorb the sticky sweetness, reducing pooling on the bottom of the pan."
Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, plus at least 4 hours resting; Yield: 30 to 40 pieces
To view this yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024353-baklava.
Ingredients
For the Honey Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup honey
1 strip lemon peel
1 to 2 tablespoons orange blossom water (optional), to taste
For the Pastry and Filling
1 pound frozen phyllo (2 sleeves), thawed (see Tip)
1 pound shelled walnuts (or a mix of walnuts, pistachios and almonds)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
Preparation
Prepare the honey syrup: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water with the sugar and honey. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low, add the lemon peel and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the syrup thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the lemon peel, then stir in the orange blossom water (if using). Set syrup aside to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
About 20 minutes before assembling the baklava, remove the thawed phyllo from the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature. (Do not remove the phyllo from its wrapped packaging until ready to use or it will dry out.)
Prepare the filling: Place half the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl and repeat with the remaining walnuts. Mix the sugar and cinnamon into the walnuts.
Heat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center position. Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Lightly dampen a clean kitchen towel or a couple of layers of paper towels to cover the phyllo and keep it moist.
Assemble the baklava: Generously brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some of the melted butter. Open 1 sleeve of phyllo and carefully unroll it. Place the baking dish on top of the phyllo and, with a sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim the phyllo as needed to fit the baking dish. Cover the phyllo immediately with the damp towel.
Lay 2 phyllo sheets on the bottom of the baking dish. Generously brush the top layer with the melted butter. Lay another 2 sheets on top and brush with more butter, repeating until the first sleeve of dough is used and covering the unused sheets with the damp towel in between layering. (It’s OK if a little dough tears.)
Using a large spoon, scatter the chopped nuts evenly across the top and gently pack it down. Open the second sleeve of phyllo and trim as needed. Repeat layering as before, with 2 sheets of phyllo and butter, on top of the nuts, until all the dough has been used.
Fill a small bowl with cold water. Using the tip of a very sharp knife (a serrated knife works well), first score the pastry as a guide. Make 6 to 7 even cuts along the length of the short side of the pan (each about 1-1/2 to 2 inches apart, depending on how large you’d like the baklava pieces). Next, make diagonal cuts, about 1 inch apart, for diamond shapes. (Alternatively, you can simply cut the baklava into squares.) After the pastry is scored, repeat the cuts, this time slicing right through to the bottom of the pan so each piece can be easily removed once baked and cooled. (To help hold down the dough while cutting, dip your fingertips opposite of your slicing hand into the bowl of cold water.)
Bake until the baklava is deeply golden, 35 to 50 minutes, rotating the baking dish halfway. Starting at the 35-minute mark, check on the baklava every 5 minutes to monitor doneness.
Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot baklava, including the corners. Set aside to cool completely before the pieces are removed from the pan. Baklava is best served after it has rested and the syrup has been fully absorbed, 4 to 6 hours. Cover and store at room temperature for 3 days, after which you can transfer to the fridge for up to 1 week.
Tip
To thaw frozen phyllo, remove the rolls from the box but keep them in their plastic sleeves. Place in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can thaw at room temperature according to package instructions.
LEMON POSSET
This yumminess is from mrslarkin at Food52. Mrslarkin wrote, "I’ve been intrigued by Lemon Posset recipes for a while now. In Ye Olde English days of yore, it was a milk drink thickened with wine. My Posset recipe is so simple, as they all are, really. Using just three ingredients, it seems almost magical, setting up immediately. The wonders of food science in front of your very eyes. Curdled milk never tasted so good."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Serves 4
To view this online, go to https://food52.com/recipes/3060-lemon-posset.
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
In a small saucepan, heat cream and sugar to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Continue boiling for 5 minutes. Watch the heat – don’t let the cream boil over.
Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let cool, about 15 minutes.
Pour even amounts into four ramekins. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until set.
Serve with unsweetened whipped cream, or shortbread cookies to dunk.
LEMON AND TANGERINE POSSET
This is from Claire Lower, senior food editor at LifeHacker. For this yumminess, Claire wrote, "If you saw 'lemon curdled cream' listed on a dessert menu, you’d probably pass over it in favor of lava cake. Understandably: 'Curdled' is an inherently unsexy word. But while not all curdling is desirable, there are many instances in which curdled dairy is a good thing. Cheese is a big one. This sweet, creamy, four-ingredient lemon posset is another."
She goes on to write, "And that’s really all there is to making posset. You boil some heavy cream with sugar, then add lemon juice and let it sit until tiny curds form, resulting in a tangy, sweet dessert with a texture similar to crème brûlée. It is delightful—almost like key lime pie filling, if key lime pie was flavored with lemons, or a soft lemon pudding made without corn starch, flour, eggs, gelatin, or any other thickening agents."
To view this online (and to read all of what Claire wrote), go to https://lifehacker.com/make-this-easy-creamy-four-ingredient-lemon-dessert-1850409568.
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh tangerine juice
Directions
Measure out the cream, making sure to strain away any clumps of butter fat. Add the cream to a small sauce pan with the sugar, then bring to a boil over medium heat, watching constantly and stirring to melt the sugar. Let boil for five minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the juice.
Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes, then divide amongst four ramekins, or tea cups, or these little bodega glasses (which is what I did). Chill in the fridge for at least two hours, and serve cold with whatever finishing touches you desire.
PUMPKIN FLAN WITH CHOCOLATE CRUST
This is from "Pumpkin Flan Puts Fall Flavors in Latin Classic" by Linda Cicero in the Miami Herald, and can be viewed online at http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food-drink/cooks-corner/article3416212.html.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup or 4 ounces cream cheese
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
5 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or canela
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch kosher or coarse sea salt
1-1/2 cups coarsely crushed chocolate graham crackers
Directions
In a medium saucepan, set over medium-low heat, heat sugar, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until fully dissolved and caramel colored. Quickly pour caramel into the bottoms of 10 individual ramekins, swirling around to coat the bottom of each one. Work swiftly as caramel hardens fast.
In a food processor or blender combine half-and-half, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt and puree until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into prepared ramekins, filling to 1/4-inch below the rim. Top each ramekin with 2 generous tablespoons of crushed crackers; don’t press them down. Place flans in a large baking dish or roasting pan; fill pan with hot water halfway up the height of the ramekins.
Cover the pan lightly with aluminum foil. Carefully place into the oven and bake for 50 minutes; flans should look completely set. Remove from the oven, remove the aluminum foil and remove each ramekin from the water bath. Let the flans cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. When ready to eat, run a small knife around the edge of each flan all the way to the bottom. Invert dessert plate over ramekin, flip over and shake slightly to release. Leave the ramekin on top of the flan for a minute or so, so all the caramel sauce can run over the flan.
Per serving: 390 calories (30 percent from fat), 13.3 g fat (6.8 g saturated, 4.2 g monounsaturated), 121 mg cholesterol, 0 g protein, 6.4 g carbohydrates, 1.2 g fiber, 203 mg sodium.
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