I saw Claire Clark, the executive pastry chef at The French Laundry, demonstrating these gorgeous little spiced pumpkin pots on Market Kitchen last week and thought to myself… what a great dessert for Autumn! And then realised that this would also be the perfect thing to make for this month’s Sugar High Friday and Waiter… there’s something in my… gourd.

All three of us are big fans of pumpkin and squash, so it surprises me to realise that this is the first dessert I’ve ever made with them.  I’m sure it won’t be the last, though.  Dave keeps gently hinting that he’d quite like a pumpkin pie and after tasting these pots de creme I’m rather keen on the idea, too.

For the cuteness factor, I decided to serve the pots de creme in little Munchkin pumpkins.  I spotted them in the supermarket and had to pick them up as (a) I couldn’t resist the name and (b) they were so small and cute.  The flesh of the Munchkin is quite tasty, but to be honest… there are more seeds than flesh, so I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat them again.  However, they do make a fantastic edible serving dish for the pots de creme!

I did manage to save some Munchkin flesh—that just sounds wrong, doesn’t it?—for the custard, but the bulk of the pumpkin flavour comes from my favourite (and ever-reliable) butternut squash.  I know pumpkin and squash are subtly different, but we always have a butternut about the house and they’re delicious!  Excuses aside, the custard is generously spiced with cinnamon, ginger and freshly grated nutmeg which gives you a wonderful gingerbread taste before the sweetness of the squash comes through.  This is a sexy little dessert that is just sweet, seasonal and perfect if you’re planning some sort of Halloween shindig!

Spiced Pumpkin Pot de Cremes

If you’d also like to serve the pumpkin pots de creme in little pumpkins, then you simply need to roast them whole at 200C for about 30 minutes until mostly tender.  Cut off a lid and scoop out the innards leaving a little of the flesh in each pumpkin so that it will hold its shape and still be waterproof.  Discard the seeds and if you can, save some of the flesh for use in the recipe.

Also, I didn’t use the melted butter in the pots de creme as I felt they were rich enough already.  This also has the bonus of making it a slightly healthier dish.

Serves 6 (easily scaled down)

Source: Claire Clark on Market Kitchen

• 300ml milk
• 375g peeled, deseeded pumpkin, chopped
• 125ml double cream
• 3 large eggs
• 60g caster sugar
• 35g soft dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3.

In a heavy-based saucepan, bring the milk to the boil and add the pumpkin. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pumpkin is tender, adding more milk if necessary to keep it covered. Drain the pumpkin, reserving 125ml of the milk.

Puree the pumpkin in a blender, then pass it through a fine sieve.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs and reserved milk. Add the pumpkin puree, both the sugars and all the spices and mix well. Add the melted butter and pass the mixture through a fine sieve again.

Pour into 6 individual ovenproof dishes, such as ramekins, and put them in a roasting tin. Pour enough hot water into the tin to come halfway up the sides of the dishes, then put the tin in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the custards are set. The surface should feel firm when pressed and no liquid should come to the top. Do not allow them to boil.

Remove the dishes from the roasting tin and leave to cool, then chill. Serve with shortbread (or other crunchy biscuit) if you like.

This post is pulling double duty as my entry to this month’s Sugar High Friday hosted by Anita of Dessert First and also my entry for Waiter, there’s something in my… hosted by Jeanne of Cook Sister!