Pumpkin Flan
I’m a big fan of the TV series “Friends” I literally grow up with it; my last year of high school was also the last season of “Friends”. When I think about flan, it’s inevitable for me to think about a Friend’s episode where Monica prepares Rachel a birthday flan and they make fun of the poor flan throughout the episode. I laughed a lot in that episode! Especially because flan always has been a beloved dessert for me and before that episode I was so use as seeing flan in birthday tables that I had never thought about its jiggly consistency.
After some years of that episode, I would like to think that the perception of flan has change in the international forum hahaha. I think that nowadays there are more foodies out there and a lot more open minds when talking about different culinary flavors and textures. As I mentioned, flan is one of my favorite’s desserts, and when I saw that I had leftover pumpkin puree from my Pumpkin & Coffee Muffins it occurred to me that it would make a great addition to a Mexican flan, and with all those delicious species that usually accompany pumpkin desserts it will give my flan a super autumnly touch. Thus my version of Pumpkin flan was born, and I’m proud of it!
At my house this flan was a complete winner… well I have to admit that we as a family are open to new tastes, textures and ingredients (except my dad), and this Pumpkin fits perfectly in that category. It has a very intense flavor from the species mixture, and the color and taste of pumpkin can be distinguish instantly.
I really hope you dare to try it! I’m sure that you will dazzle your friends with a typical Mexican dessert with a fall twist.
I found the script from that Friend’s episode:
Phoebe: Ok, here are the birthday candles. Where’s the birthday cake?
Monica: Ok, we´re not having birthday cake, we’re having birthday flan.
Chandler: Excuse me?
Monica: It’s a traditional Mexican custard dessert.
Joey: Oh that’s nice. Happy Birthday Rachel, here’s some goo.
Last scene: Close up of the flan on the table with birthday candles
Monica: Ok verybody, it’s time for flan.
Chandler: Yup, get ready for the gelatinous fun.
Joey: Kinda looks like that stuff you get when you get a bad infection.
Monica: Ok, that’s enough.
Phoebe: Ok Rachel, make a special flan wish.
Rachel: Ok, I’ve got one (She blows out the candles. Chandler calls out “heads up” and a volleyball lands in the flan) Wow, those things almost never come true
- 200 gr (7 oz) sugar
- 50 ml water
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 can (397 gr) condensed milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- Preheat oven to 170°C.
- In a heavy saucepan cook sugar and water over medium heat. Leave on the heat until the sugar is completely melted and it turns a dark amber color, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Quickly pour into an ungreased round baking mold (diameter: 20 cm/7.87 in), tilt to coat the bottom and the walls of the mold. Be very careful because the sugar mixture is really hot. Allow to cool for 30-40 minutes. You know it’s ready because the caramel will start to “crack”, you will hear it and see small openings on the caramel.
- Put the rest of the ingredients in a blender. Blend until well combined, remove the lid and with a silicon spatula pour down the mixture so it can mix well. Pour into the mold previously coated with the caramel. Place mold on a large roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan to reach a little more than halfway of the side of the mold. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, run a spatula or a thin knife between flan and side of the mold to loosen. Put a serving platter over the mold, holding the platter and the mold securely together, quickly invert. Let the caramel to pour over the flan and around the flan.
- Enjoy!
I made this flan and did not come out good.I backed on the temperature you suggested here but it sticked to the pan that I could not take it out…tried everything . My question to you is..do you bake in other pan filled with water or just in pan where you put caramel? As far as I know flan is baked in pan filled with water. Thank you for your answer.
Zoki, I’m really really sorry! You are completly right, flans are always baked using a pan filled with water, I forgot to put it in the recipe steps. (Now I have corrected it). Again I’m so sorry!
Thank God that in Canada this ingredients are not expensive so no big lost…but I will definitely try again very soon because I love flans.Thank you.