Pumpkin Custard

Because I was talking about the custard email with my family, my middle child asked if I could make pumpkin custard. Below is the recipe I created. Since I didn’t want to use sugar, I created a topping that has some fiber but also the sweetness you’d get from a caramelized sugar. The hardened topping makes a nice contrast to the soft custard.

Ingredients:

8 eggs

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup agave

4 cups pureed cooked pumpkin (canned is fine)

1 tsp dried orange peel

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups “milk” (flax, soy, rice, etc…. for richer custard use soy or coconut creamer)

4 tbsp “butter” (I use Earth Balance soy free version)

2 cups gluten free quick oats

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 cup agave

Cooking Instructions:

1. Fill a 4 inch high pan with tap water about half filled.  Put the pan into the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. Fill a pot half full of water and bring to a boil. Be sure you can safely place another pot snugly on top of this pot to act as a double boiler.

3. Beat the eggs well. While whisking continually, add the coconut sugar and agave.

4. Mix the pumpkin, the eggs, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.

5. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the milk one minute. Stir. Then heat another minute.

6. Pour the milk into the top pan of the double boiler, and cook until the milk begins to bubble slightly around the edges, stirring occasionally. This should only take a couple of minutes since you’ve pre-warmed the milk.

7. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the pumpkin-egg mixture, whisking constantly. Do the same with a second 1/2 cup of milk.

8. While stirring with a whisk, slowly add the pumpkin-egg mixture into the remaining hot milk. Stirring continually, cook until the custard begins to thicken. This should only take another couple of minutes. When it’s thick, the custard will stick to the back of a wooden spoon.

9. If desired, strain the custard through a sieve or simply pour into a 2 quart heatproof casserole dish.

10. Gently and carefully place the custard dish into the hot pan of water and bake for 50 minutes.

11. While the custard is baking, make the topping by melting the “butter” in a saucepan and adding the oats. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes, being sure to stir every once a while.

12. Add the agave and cinnamon, nutmeg and coriander, and cook another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The topping will darken and begin to clump together.

13. After the custard has baked 50 minutes. use two spoons to gently drop spoonfuls of the topping onto the top of the custard. Bake for another 10 minutes.

14. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching so that your topping doesn’t burn. You just want to harden it a bit to a dark golden brown.

15. Cool the custard for at least 15 minutes on a cooling rack before putting into the refrigerator to solidify.

16. To serve, bring the custard to room temperature or slightly warm it in the oven at low temperature.