I have the pleasure of having two family members with birthdays just a few days apart.  I always want the birthday person to feel special on their day but I don’t need two birthday cakes around the house.  I would have to eat them!  So, the first of the two usually gets something not quite “birthday-y”.  This year, I came up with a special treat, Pumpkin Brûlée.  This dessert is pretty much perfect, if I do say so myself.  It has the perfect combination of sweet and a slight bit of spicy.

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

5 egg yolks

3 c heavy whipping cream

1 – 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t ground cardamom

1/4 t allspice

2 1/2 t vanilla paste

1/4 t cloves

1/4 t salt

1/2 c granulated sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

1/3 c raw sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.  Add the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cardamom, and vanilla paste.  Whisk until well blended.

Add the egg yolks and incorporate.  Bring the heavy cream to the beginnings of a boil then slowly add to the pumpkin, whisking between additions until well incorporated (add slowing, a ladle at a time will keep the eggs from cooking).

Carefully divide evenly into oven safe custard dishes.  Place the filled dishes in a large pan (I use the disposable aluminum roasting pans you get for the turkey) and carefully add water until about 1/2 way up the dishes.  Be very careful adding the water, you don’t want to get any in the custard.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until the custard is just set in the center.  Remove from the oven and cool to room temp.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

About 1 hour before serving, remove from the refrigerator and sprinkle the top of each dish with 1+t raw sugar (the amount you will need is going to depend on the size of your Brûlée dish.  Make sure you have a good coating without being too heavy).  Using a kitchen torch, melt and caramelize the sugar then return to the fridge to set the sugar up again.  Serve with fresh whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg.

NOTE:  I want you to be prepared.  If your house is like mine, these are not going to last long.  I am not kidding when I tell you this is like tasting heaven.  My family has gone completely nuts over how delicious these are and they are already asking when I am making it again.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you!