Pumpkin Pie Leche Flan with Fleur de Sel Caramel Brûlée (Filipino Style)

I know what some people out there in the universe are thinkin'. Flan? I don't like flan! ::clutches pearls:: Oh no-no-no Honey Boo Boo chile.' First of all, you haven't had Filipino Flan! This is not your run-of-the-mill- jiggly, gelatinous, bland, eggy, boing-boing kind of flan. ::gasp:: ::tongue pop:: This. Is. Different.

Classic Filipino Leche Flan is a creamy, velvety, naughty, sweet and decadent hug that squeezes you real tight and tells you to not let go of that spoon. It then takes you to another place when you go in for that sweet, salty, slightly bitter dark amber syrup. I'm not kidding you, I always lick the plate and I don't care who's lookin'.

I wanted to take this already amazing dessert and give it a Sweater Weather moment, fit for the holidays. Granted, I could pretty much eat this stuff any time of the year, if you ask me. What speaks Sweater Weather more than Pumpkin Pie?

"What's a Llanera and do I really need that?," you ask. A Llanera is an oval-shaped pan, specifically made for Filipino Leche Flan. They're lightweight, easy to clean, a beautiful oval shape and they're a freakin' dollar!!! You can get these at almost any Asian market with a Filipino section. They're usually right next to the Polvoron cookie extruder thingies. You can totally substitute by using a small, round 6" cake pan, but they're just so bulky, thick, heavy when you make your caramel, and take longer to bake. I would just get your booty to the Asian market and get yourself some of these things. Plus, the Asian market is fun!!!

This recipe is super easy to make. It's basically dumping a bunch of liquid ingredients together. The only tricky part is caramelizing the sugar and getting it to the perfect color. You want to make it the perfect shade of amber that is not too light, yet not too dark and burnt either. You want it perfectly burnt. It's really easy to burn sugar, but this just comes with practice. The technique I'm showing you in this recipe is actually a lot easier than cooking your sugar to a crack stage (300° F–310° F). At least you can avoid worrying about pulling out your candy thermometer. With this recipe, it's all about eye-balling it.

Believe it or not, I'm not a huge Pumpkin Pie fan at all. I love pie, but Pumpkin goes on the bottom of the list. If I do have it, it has to have Chantilly Cream on top and have a bangin' crust. This Pumpkin Pie Leche Flan on the other hand, is definitely a sweet that will take it's place on the holiday dessert table. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Happy Fall!

Muah x 1,000,000...

Greggy

Pumpkin Pie Leche Flan with Fleur de Sel Caramel Brûlée

Yield: 3 Large, 6 X 4 X 1 1/2 Filipino Leche Flan Llaneras.

Ingredients:

9 egg yolks
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1- 14 oz. can condensed milk
1- 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 vanilla bean pod or 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean extract

Caramel

5 Tbsp. per Llanera of granulated sugar
1/2 tsp Fleur de Sel

Special Tools:

3 Large, 6 X 4 X 1 1/2 Filipino Leche Flan Llaneras (can substitute with 2- 6" x 3" round cake pans)
bamboo steamer or any steamer with multiple tiers/compartments
metal tongs

Directions:

Mix egg yolks, condensed milk and pumpkin purée until smooth and well combined. I like to use a kitchen aid on low speed with a paddle attachment.
Add evaporated milk, Pumpkin Pie Spice, scraped vanilla bean, and mix until combined.
Add 5 Tbsp. of sugar and a 1/2 tsp. of Fleur de Sel to each Llanera. You could substitute a Llanera with a 6" round cake pan that is at least 2" in height.
With a pair of metal tongs, hold the Llanera pan on an open flame on the stove. The flame should be on medium heat. Swirl the bubbling, melting sugar until it reaches a golden amber color. Repeatedly remove from heat as soon as it starts to scorch and/or smoke and continue to swirl the caramel in the pan. You want to achieve a dark amber color. I find that it is really yummy, when it is almost, I repeat, almost burnt. You want just the right amount of dark amber, but not burnt to the point where it is black. Carry-over cooking will happen, so it must be taken off the heat when it is approaching a semi-dark golden amber color. Set aside to cool the caramel. The caramel should harden into a crack stage.
Transfer custard mixture into a spouted vessel, like a measuring cup and pour into the Llanera molds.
Place Llaneras in the steamer with about 1 1/2 cups of simmering water in the bottom of the pan. It should be just enough water to only fill the bottom of the pan and it avoiding it from evaporating too much during the cooking process. Keep on a low simmer and steam for about 30-40 minutes. Add more water if it evaporate throughout the cooking process. The custard should come out clean with a toothpick inserted and jiggly when shaken.
Remove from steamer and set aside to cool. Keep them covered with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Run a sharp paring knife along the edges of the Leche Flan and place a plate on top of it. Turn it upside down and release from mold. Serve and enjoy!