Pumpkin Flan

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon, or pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Set a 9-inch cake (or pie) pan with 2-inch high sides inside of a larger baking pan or casserole dish (such as a 13 x 9-inch dish).
2. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt sugar until completely dissolved. Watch carefully so it does not burn. Stir often with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Remove from heat when it is a dark golden, amber color.
3. Immediately pour melted sugar into bottom of 9-inch cake pan, working quickly, before it hardens.
4. In a blender, purée cream cheese, pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
5. Pour flan mixture into cake pan on top of hardened caramelized sauce.
6. Make a water bath by pouring water into roasting pan — outside of cake pan — until water reaches half way up outside of cake pan holding flan.
7. Bake for 50 minutes or until set around the edges with a slight jiggle in middle.
8. Remove from oven and let flan cool in water bath, about an hour.
9. Once cool, refrigerate at least 2 hours, but overnight is best.
10. To serve, run a knife along edge of pan and carefully invert onto a large rimmed platter. Slice into pieces and serve.

NOTE:  You can cover the pan with foil during baking if you want.  Covering flan with foil while baking is common, but not always necessary, and can be done to keep moisture in, prevent browning or a dry skin from forming, create a more uniformly moist environment, and even help the flan cook faster. The foil also serves the essential purpose of keeping water from the water bath from getting into the flan custard itself.  It just depends on your preference.  Try making it both ways and see what you prefer.

Want to beef it up just a little?  Here are a few tweaks!

• 1 cup sugar 
• 5 eggs
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin 
• 2 tsp Mexican vanilla blend
• 1.5-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
• 1/4 tsp salt