Pumpkin Creme Caramel

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, well shaken
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup solid-pack pumpkin
• 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons coconut (optional) or 2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup golden brown sugar
• freshly whipped cream
• freshly grated nutmeg

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 spread coconut on baking sheet. sprinkle brown sugar over coconut and gently mix together. bake until golden, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. set aside to cool leaving oven on.
• 3 in a 1-quart saucepan, heat water and 3/4 cup sugar to boiling on medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. continue to cook, without stirring, 5-10 minutes or until caramel is amber in color (this may take a little longer than 10 minutes). pour hot caramel into a 9-in.-round, 2-in.-deep ceramic or metal pan, swirling to evenly coat bottom of pan.
• 4 in a 2-quart saucepan, heat coconut milk, heavy cream, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar just to boiling on medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• 5 in large bowl with wire whisk, mix pumpkin, eggs, rum (if using), vanilla extract and salt until blended.
• 6 gradually whisk hot milk mixture into pumpkin mixture until blended. pour pumpkin mixture through a sieve into an 8-cup glass measuring cup, then into the caramel coated pan. place pan in a roasting pan; place on oven rack. pour boiling water into roasting pan to come three-quarters of the way up the side of the 9-inch pan. bake 45-55 minutes (if using a metal pan check after 35 minutes) or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge of pan comes out clean (center will still jiggle a bit).
• 7 carefully remove pan from water. allow creme caramel to cool 1 hour in pan on a wire rack. cover and refrigerate creme caramel overnight or up to 2 days. to un-mold, run a small spatula around side of pan; invert creme caramel onto serving plate, allowing caramel to drip down from pan (some caramel may remain in pan).
• 8 garnish with freshly whipped cream, cooled coconut/sugar mixture and freshly grated nutmeg. cut into 12 portions and serve.