Custard's Last Stand

I'm not over pumpkin. I know the conventional wisdom switch suddenly flips from pumpkin to peppermint the day after Thanksgiving, but I'm not over pumpkin. I'm just not. Pumpkin is safe and kind and nonjudgmental, unlike those bitchy motherforkers who would have me feel guilty for indulging in one of the greatest gourds known to mankind.

On top of that, pumpkin is incredibly versatile and easy to work with. Case in point, this baked pumpkin custard. Now custard gets a bad rep for being overly wiggly and having a strange mouthfeel but hear me out on this one. First, this recipe has flour in it, so the top bakes up like a nice, dense souffle/cake mixture. Second, the custardy inside has some actual chew to it, so you're really just getting the amazing silkiness of the custard without any of the slippery texture that is so frequently off-putting.

In other news, I blame most people's hatred of custard on the first (and likely very bad) flan they ever tried at a Mexican restaurant. IT'S NOT ALL LIKE THAT, I PROMISE.

I found this recipe from the blog The Gunny Sack on Pinterest, and though I had been burned countless times before by Pinterecipes, I decided to go for it... and I'm so glad I did becuase it turned out to be AWESOME. I did change it up some because I thought the original iteration wasn't flavorful enough but I have to give credit where credit is due.

Additionally, I can see making this recipe with other types of fruit purees. I can see mashed banana working exceptionally well, for instance (basically like a big banana bread but lighter). I get the sense it would also be amazing with mashed sweet potato but it might need another egg white or two because sweet potato is much denser than pumpkin. Worth looking into, in my opinion.

In any case, this is a showstopping dessert that is incredibly easy to make. Bring it to a holiday potluck and you'll be leading the charge back to pumpkin camp. Peppermint, wait your turn.

Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin puree

5 eggs, separated

1/2 c. butter

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

2 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

2 c. milk

Whipped cream (optional, for topping)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Melt butter and set aside to cool.

2. Warm the milk gently until it is lukewarm, reserve.

3. In a large, BONE DRY bowl, beat the eggwhites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Make sure there is absolutely no water or moisture in the bowl or your eggwhites won't firm up. Catastrophe. Set aside.

4. Beat the egg yolks and the powdered sugar in a separate bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the cooled, melted butter and the spices, making sure everything is combined. Slowly beat in the flour, making sure not to mix too much.

5. Beat in the pumpkin and 1/2 cup of the milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the rest of the milk in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Gently fold in the egg whites by hand and stir well to combine. Don't worry if there are some little chunks; it won't be perfectly smooth.

6. Pour into a greased 9x9 pan and bake for about 55 minutes, or until the custard has pulled away from the sides of the pan. The center should still be jiggly but a knife should come out clean. Dust with powdered sugar and let cool completely before serving.

Many thanks to The Gunny Sack for this recipe. Original can be found here: http://www.thegunnysack.com/pumpkin-magic-custard-cake-recipe/

#dessert #fall #winter #easy