Make your holidays even more special with a delicious pumpkin crème brûlée. Packed with flavour and winter spices, it really makes a wonderful holiday treat. This simple dessert consists of a creamy pumpkin custard covered with a crispy caramel layer. In fact, it’s a dessert which you simply can’t refuse.
Crème brûlée is a French dessert. It is very similar to the Spanish Crema Catalana, with the difference of being made of thick cream and being baked in the oven using the bain-marie (water bath) method. If you are a sweet tooth, then it is definitely for you. However, I didn’t want the classic crème brûlée and I made a delicious pumpkin crème brûlée.
Along with the pumpkin, I also used all of the warm spices that are just perfect for winter. For instance, I used cinnamon (yeah, I use that a lot), nutmeg and star anise. Also, instead of using water, I swapped it with orange juice. Simply delicious.
Moreover, since you don’t need a large amount of it, I simply used an immersion blender to purée it. As a result, the mixture was smooth yet still with texture. Also, in many recipes, I’ve seen they strain the mixture through a sieve, before filling the baking cups. That being said, I prefer some texture and the small lovely orange dots. Therefore, I skipped that step. And it turned out gorgeous.
A cold crème brûlée and a kitchen torch
In addition, pumpkin crème brûlée needs to be completely cold, before creating the caramel crust. The reason why it needs to be cold is, you can’t create a crispy crust on a hot crème brûlée. It would only melt the sugar and leave it soggy. You want the sugar to melt under your torch and not because of the heat coming from the custard.
Therefore, I suggest making it one day ahead and to keep it in the fridge or in a cold place until ready to serve. In fact, that’s just perfect for wintertime. And you can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. But who can resist so long? Not me. Wink. Also, brown the sugar only minutes before serving. As a result, you’ll get a really lovely crispy caramelized layer. Yummy.
How to get that lovely crispy caramel layer? All you need is a kitchen torch. This small gadget is really handy and makes wonders. In fact, it’s a must-have in the kitchen. Also, it’s cheap and you can find it in almost every shop or grocery. You see plenty of those, especially around Christmas and the holidays. Get yourself a lovely present this year. Wink.
And, just in case, if you fancy something that doesn’t require a torch, check out this easy and really tasty Bled cream cake in a glass, decadent avocado chocolate truffles, a creamy pumpkin spice dessert or maybe a lovely sweet and fruity cocktail.
Ingredients for 4 portions of pumpkin crème brûlée:
- 300 g pumpkin (cut, sliced)
- 120 ml of orange juice
- 2 seeds of star anise
- 3 Tbsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- half tsp of nutmeg (grated)
- 1 drop of vanilla paste
- 4 egg yolks
- 220 ml whipping cream (not whipped)
- 130 g creme double (or mascarpone)
- brown sugar (for the crispy layer)
First of all, cut the pumpkin into small and thin pieces. Pour the orange juice in a smaller pot, add the pumpkin and a couple of star anise seeds. Then, cook it for about 10 minutes or until soft enough to puree. So, once soft enough, puree it roughly with an immersion blender.
Before continuing, preheat the oven to 150º C. Next, while still warm, add the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Then, add the egg yolks and puree for 10 seconds. Once well incorporated, pour in the whipping cream and the creme double. Puree for a couple more minutes.
Pumpkin crème brûlée is baked in a water bath
After you get a smooth consistency, but still with mini orange dots, fill the baking cups. Make sure to fill them till half a finger from the top. Then place the cups on a baking dish and put in the oven. At this point, do not forget to pour some hot water in the baking dish (around 2 cm high) around the baking cups. Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
Once the pumpkin crème brûlée is baked (it should be set but still jiggly in the middle), remove the baking cups carefully from the baking dish and let them cool down. As already said, you can wait at least two hours or cool it overnight.
The next day, take them out of the fridge half an hour prior serving. Furthermore, sprinkle about two teaspoons of brown sugar evenly on each pumpkin crème brûlée and, using a kitchen torch, brown the sugar layer until crispy and caramelized. In order to leave even a bigger impression, brown them in front of your friends and family. You’ll be the torch hero. Wink.
Finally, the pumpkin crème brûlée is covered with a crispy layer of caramel. Serve it straight away. You’ll love the sound of the breaking caramel and the lovely creamy pumpkin custard underneath it. Yummy. It’s just perfect for the wintertime.
Enjoy and happy holidays!
PS
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
