Back to the archives for this Hungry Southern Belle!  I MUST share this delicious recipe for a twist on your favorite holiday treat, pumpkin pie, with this yummy Pumpkin Flan.  I always had been intimidated by flan in the past but found this recipe to be surprisingly easy to make.  What makes it even more delicious is when you serve it topped with shaved coconut and fresh sliced mango.  Enjoy y’all!

Spiced Pumpkin Flan

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 tbsp water

5 large eggs

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp EACH ground cloves, ginger and pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup sugar

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

1 3/4 cup whole fat milk

1 vanilla bean

Toasted coconut

Mango, thinly sliced

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Set 8 ramekins or other oven-sage, small dishes into a large, deep baking dish.  Heat 1 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is a dark amber, about 10 minutes.  Quickly divide the sugar mixture among the ramekins.  Whisk eggs, cinnamon, salt, cloves, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and 1/3 cup sugar together in a large bowl.  Stir in pumpkin puree until smooth.

Heat milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it starts to bubble and steam.  Remove from heat and add scrapings of 1 vanilla bean to the milk.  Allow to soak for 10 minutes.  Strain milk mixture into the egg mixture, and whisk to form a thin custard.  Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins, leaving about 1/4 inch at the top of each.  Fill baking dish with hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the flan is just set.  Remove ramekins from hot water to cool completely.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Run a thin knife around the inside edge of each ramekin and place an overturned plate on top.  Invert and release the flan.  Sprinkle with toasted coconut and thin slices of mango.  Refrigerate any leftovers.