Creamy Pumpkin Custard

When October rolls around and the weather cools, I get a recurring condition for which I have not found a cure: buy-too-much-pumpkinanitis.  I see the displays in the stores and drive by the pumpkin patches and my BTMP flares up and becomes uncontrollable.  I start to collect pumpkins in all forms – fresh, canned; green, orange; jack-o-lanterns and sugar pies.  Then the BTMP spreads and I get the pumpkin cousins – butternut and acorn and kabocha squashes.  I have cans and cans of pumpkin in my pantry and I have cooked squash in my fridge and I’m seriously running out of storage space.  Luckily, I like pumpkin and so does hubby and the munchkin, so I’ve been trying to keep up with the madness and using the orange stuff where I can.

Today, I give you creamy pumpkin custard.  I love custard in all forms and my all time favorite dessert is creme brulee.  This pumpkin custard tastes like a cross between creme brulee and pumpkin pie.  The heavy cream and egg yolks make it rich and smooth and there’s no crust to get in the way.  For another pumpkin recipe, check out my pumpkin biscuits.

Creamy Pumpkin Custard

Makes 6 servings

1 cup pumpkin puree, fresh or canned

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 1/3 cup milk or coconut milk

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/4 teaspoon stevia

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Boil some water for a water bath (or bain-marie if you speaka zee frrrench)
2. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
3. Divide custard into 6 6-ounce ramekins or oven-safe cups.
4. Place cups in large baking dish and fill the dish half way with hot water.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until center of custard is set and not jiggly.
6. Let custards cool to room temperature then refrigerate for 2 hours or more.

I don’t know if BTMP is a unique affliction or if there are others out there like me.  If you are prone to hoarding pumpkin, let me know what you do with all that excess squash.  I need more ideas!