Here is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert with a modern touch that will astound your visitors. If you don’t already own a kitchen torch, this is also a fantastic opportunity to purchase so. If creating parfaits seems like too much labor in this instance, feel free to simply bake the custard in ramekins the old-fashioned way, brulee the top, and then top with the candied pumpkin. For a circular serving dish, such as a stemmed champagne coupe, you can use a 2-inch round cutter. These can be prepared two to three days in advance and frozen. 30 minutes before serving, remove. Serve with whipped cream or caramel sauce, or just as is.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 58 mins |
| Additional Time: | 1 hr 40 mins |
| Total Time: | 3 hrs 8 mins |
| Servings: | 9 |
| Yield: | 9 servings |
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 quart heavy whipping cream
- boiling water as needed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 10 ounces frozen cubed pumpkin
- 7 tablespoons white sugar, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray.
- Mix 3/4 cup white sugar, egg yolks, egg, vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cardamom, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on low speed until well combined.
- Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it begins to bubble, about 5 minutes; remove from heat. Add cream to the egg mixture slowly, mixing on low speed. Pour custard into the prepared baking dish.
- Set the baking pan into a roasting pan; carefully pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the custard is set when gently shaken, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Remove baking pan from roasting pan. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, and cinnamon; stir to combine. Add frozen pumpkin and simmer, stirring often, until reduced, about 8 minutes. Cool candied pumpkin to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Cut custard into 18 squares using a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Place 1 custard square in a serving dish, add a layer of candied pumpkin, and top with another square. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Use a kitchen torch to flame tops until deeply caramelized and a crunchy layer has formed.
- You may substitute butternut squash for pumpkin.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 593 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 40 g |
| Cholesterol | 293 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 29 g |
| Sodium | 253 mg |
| Sugars | 35 g |
| Fat | 47 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |