Photography by Rob Kinghorn
Food Styling by Ian Muggridge
Prop Styling by Jane Hardin

First published in Wish October 2007

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Boil water in kettle.
2. In a bowl, whisk together first 5 ingredients. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium heat until just boiling. Remove from heat.
4. Whisk 2 tablespoons of hot cream into egg mixture. Drizzle in remaining cream, continuing to whisk. Add pumpkin and brandy and combine. Strain through a fine sieve into a 4-cup measure.
5. Place 4 ramekins inside a baking dish. Pour 3/4 cup of custard into each ramekin and set dish on middle rack in oven. Pour boiling water into dish until water comes halfway up the ramekins. Tip: Be careful not to get any water in the custard. Cover with foil and bake 35-40 minutes or until custards are mostly set. They should have a slight jiggle.
6. Carefully remove ramekins from water bath and let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 3 hours before serving. Time Saver: Custards can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated for up to three days.
7. To serve, preheat broiler and transfer custards to a baking sheet. Sprinkle 11/2 teaspoons brown sugar over surface of each custard. Place under broiler about 2 inches from heat until sugar is caramelized. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information

Per serving: about 518 calories, 50 g fat, 7 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 1 g fibre, 55 mg sodium. Excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin B12 and folate.