Coconut pumpkin flamDanielle Matar/The Globe and Mail
Pumpkin never tasted so good as in this light, exciting end to our Thanksgiving meal. To toast coconut flakes, place in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until they're fragrant and golden. If you don't have a soufflé dish, a high-sided 8-inch cake pan works.
Servings: 6 with leftovers
Ready Time: 4 hours, including chilling time
Caramel
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Flan
1 cup canned cooked pumpkin
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Toasted shaved coconut
Method
Preheat oven to 325 F. Oil a 6 cup soufflé dish.
To make caramel:
Place sugar, water and maple syrup in a small, heavy bottomed pan on high heat. Stir occasionally until sugar melts, about 1 minute. Continue to cook, shaking the pan but not stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes or until sugar turns a golden caramel colour.
Pour immediately into oiled soufflé dish, rotating and tilting the dish to coat the bottom and sides with the caramel. The caramel will set quickly. Set dish aside.
To make flan:
Place pumpkin purée in a fine mesh sieve and allow excess liquid to drain for 5 minutes.
Mix together pumpkin, coconut milk, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Pour through a sieve into caramel-lined dish. Place the dish in a roasting pan and fill pan with boiling water three-quarters up the sides of the dish. Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until pudding wiggles slightly in the centre. Remove dish from water bath and chill for 2 hours or until really cold.
Run a thin-edged knife around the edge of the flan. Dip soufflé dish into hot water to loosen the caramel and turn out onto a plate with raised sides to contain the caramel sauce. If caramel is stuck to the bottom of the pan, reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds until liquid again and pour around flan.
Top with toasted shaved coconut.
Lucy Waverman