This looks like an excellent idea for a fancy smancy holiday dessert! I’ve never made a Creme Brulee, but I got this in my inbox the other day, and it looked pretty tasty, and not TOO complex…
Ingredients:
· 1 Spice Islands Vanilla Bean
· 1-3/4 cups heavy cream
· 1 cup canned pumpkin
· 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
· 10 egg yolks
· 2 teaspoons Spice Islands Pumpkin Pie Spice
· 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
· 1 tablespoon finely chopped Spice Islands Ginger, Crystallized
· 1/4 cup brown sugar
· 1 teaspoon finely chopped Spice Islands Ginger, Crystallized
· 1 tablespoon finely chopped pecans
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325ºF.
Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape vanilla bean. Place in heavy saucepan. Add cream, pumpkin and syrup and whisk together; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk egg yolks and pumpkin pie spice in a separate bowl.
Add the hot pumpkin mixture slowly to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add 1/4 cup pecans and 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger. Pour mixture into eight 6-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins in a hot water bath.
Bake about 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center of custard comes out clean. Transfer ramekins to a rack to cool completely. Chill, covered, until cold (at least 2 hours).
Combine sugar, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1 tablespoon pecans. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons evenly over each ramekin. Broil until topping is caramelized. Serve.