Recipe developer Pam Simmons, based in Connecticut, knows from experience when she’s finally reached the ideal she was aiming for in perfecting a recipe, that “at last!” moment of satisfaction.
Her feeling she’d got this coconut pumpkin custard right was confirmed, she said, when her oldest son liked the test sample so much he made a batch for himself, and ate nearly all of it.
Now, she says, “it has become my favorite fall custard, perfect for any dinner but especially for Thanksgiving.”
She admits it was not only a professional duty that prompted her to develop the recipe, but a request from her daughter.
“She asked me to send her recipes that are wholesome and homey, which do not include any milk products or soy,” Simmons said. “Sarah is nursing her baby and has found out Cosmo’s colic is aggravated by those products.”
It’s a quickly prepared dish, Simmons says, a creamy custard combined with just a hint of nutmeg to complement the coconut and pumpkin flavors. It can be mixed in minutes, and can bake while you’re eating dinner.
Coconut pumpkin custard
1131/2 -ounce can coconut milk
1cup canned packed pumpkin (not pie mix)
3/4cup sugar
4large eggs
1/2teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon coconut extract
1/4teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cinnamon sugar (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With a mixer or whisk, beat coconut milk, pumpkin, sugar, eggs, salt, extract and nutmeg until well mixed. Fill each of six custard cups with 2/3 cup of pumpkin mixture and lightly sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar.
Make a water bath by filling a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 4 cups of hot water. Place each filled custard cup in baking dish.
Carefully place baking dish in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center of the custard comes out clean.
Makes six 2/3-cup servings.
Note: For an extra-fancy presentation, refrigerate custards until cold. Sprinkle each custard with a teaspoon of sugar. Melt sugar with a torch or under a broiler until just golden.
Watch the heating process carefully, as the sugars can turn from golden to burned very quickly. Tip: You can find a small, inexpensive torch at your local hardware store.
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