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DESSERTS,  PUDDINGS, MOUSSE

PUMPKIN POTS de CREME – LiveSTRONG With A Taste Of Yellow

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”
Louisa May Alcott

22It’s the time of the year again that makes me walk towards the oven in a hypnotic trance and want to bake all day long. Its warming and comforting to have the oven on, to fill the house with warm flavours that give you joy. The nip in the air, the apples flooding the market, the big yellow {& green}  pumpkins all beckon you. Even though the pumpkin sits there all the year round, it’s once the weather begins to get nippy that I like to roast it.

pumpkinThe ‘make my own pumpkin puree’ madness hit me last year when I made my first pumpkin pie, the Praline Pumpkin Pie from a fabulous cookbook that I reviewed, Park Avenue Potluck CELEBRATIONS. It was the best pie ever, and one that I need to revisit soon this year. My enchantment with this rather under-rated vegetable also showed up in Pumpkin Panna Cotta, and in a less guilty pumpkin pie, the Simple Pumpkin Pie.

4 1I’ve had Pumpkin Pots de Creme on my mind ever since I made Chocolate Cherry Pots de Creme in September, and I thought it would be a wonderful way to use pumpkin puree. So I got this HUGE slice of pumpkin and roasted it, with some unpeeled garlic thrown in to the oven alongside, because  I wasn’t sure I’d use all the puree the sweet way. Savoury pumpkin soup was tugging the strings of my heart too, after a rather wonderful one my twin sistah Jamie and I shared at the FBC in London. What I made wasn’t exactly that, but  it was darned good.

3The amount of puree I finally got ensured I went every which way! Here’s the first thing I made from the puree, dessert which was loved, and screamed everything warm, filling and flavourful. One ramekin later, the lad said ‘Err, can I have another pot please? No? Maybe tomorrow? Well it was yummy!He tried pushing his luck, but it didn’t work!! The daughter was a bit iffy about it initially because she inadvertently had a go at the yellow bowlful of pumpkin puree and almost fainted when I enlightened her. A spoonful of dessert later, she forgot all about the pumpkin puree & dug right in!

roseI made these pots specially for Barbara @ Winos and Foodies for her LiveSTRONG With A Taste of Yellow event, an annual event held each year. This is my fourth year at the event. The food blogger community is a tight knit, supportive community. Most of us have been inspired by Barbara and her fight with cancer. She is an amazing lady, and a source of inspiration to many, including me. Her story is moving, frightening at times, but a lesson in life ; a must read.

bOctober 2nd has been announced as LiveSTRONG Day 2010, and this year the event has a new theme. Throughout 2010 Barbara has been posting a heart each Saturday. She thought it might be fun to incorporate the hearts in this years LiveSTRONG Day event. I ♥ the idea. She called for everyone to create their own heart photo and post it to their blog on October 2nd, 2010. If you want to join in, you still have time since she’s accepting entries through the week.

soupHere’s a picture of the roasted pumpkin soup; ’twas certainly a comforting and delicious bowlful. Will post that recipe later.  I did intend to put that up today too, but the shift to WP means that each post takes a little longer than before, as I learn the ropes. I did oven bake some heart shaped, turmeric yellowed croûtons out of brown bread too! I still have some pumpkin puree in the freezer, and am debating what not to make with it … there are far too many options I’ve found!

FG1Pumpkin Pots de Creme with Candied Walnuts
Inspired by Canelle et Vanille
250ml low fat milk milk
200ml low fat cream {Amul 25% fat}
1  1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
1 cup vanilla sugar {as the pumpkin wasn’t sweet}
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup candied walnuts {recipe follows}
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Method:
Bring the milk, cream, vanilla bean and half of the sugar to a simmering boil.  Put off  heat and allow to sit for 30 minutes for the vanilla bean flavours to mature.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 160C.
Add the pumpkin puree, pie spice and cinnamon to the vanilla milk  / cream mixture, and whisk with a balloon whisk.
In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, yolk and the other half of the sugar. Add the warm pumpkin mixture into the egg  mixture, whisking constantly. Strain the custard through a fine sieve.
Pour the custard into the ramekins and place them on a sheet pan and bring this to a preheated 160C oven.
Place the sheet pan in the oven and pour hot water in the sheet pan. Bake the pots de creme in the water bath until the center is set; mine took about 45 minutes. Refrigerate once cool. Chill completely, preferably overnight.
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Serve with unsweetened whipped low fat cream and a sprinkling of candied walnuts.
IMG 64251Candied Walnuts
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp butter
walnutsMethod:
Place all ingredients in a small heavy bottom pan, and simmer until the sugar begins to melt.
Swirl around so the melted sugar coats the nuts. Simmer until the sugar begins to caramelize and turns a golden brown, Don’t let it get dark, else the nuts will taste bitter.
Immediately turn the nuts onto a lightly greased platter and allow to cool.
Break up into pieces, and store in an airtight container in a cool place. I keep mine in the fridge for 5-7 days.

♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥

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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India deeba

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About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.

35 Comments

  • Asha@FSK

    mmm.. roasted pumpkin rocks!! :)) Who would have ever thought the veggie had so much sweetness in it!! :)) And homemade puree is oh so much better than canned! Lovely creation Deeba and I am your commenter on WP!!! YAYYYYY!! :DDDD

  • El

    This look truly delicious. There’s so much pumpkin around here, it’s great to have some inspiration outside of the standard pie. What a wonderful quote from Louisa May Alcott. Did you know she’s from New England?
    .-= El´s last blog ..Love and Milk Chocolate Macarons =-.

  • Chef Dennis

    what a lovely dessert! we really need to use pumpkin more often and through out the year! I love those little pots of cream and those walnuts are such a nice addition!
    Thanks for sharing your wonderful creation!
    .-= Chef Dennis´s last blog ..Today is Guest Post Friday with Mommie Cooks and my CSN 80 Giveaway! =-.

  • Laube

    What a wonderful sweet recipe!!!!!. And photos are really lovely…
    Till now, I’ll be a follower.
    Kisses.
    .-= Laube´s last blog ..Menestra ligera de guisantes =-.

  • Nancy@acommunaltable

    Just had to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog – your photography is gorgeous and truly inspirational!! It’s still too warm in my part of the world to make these but as soon as the weather cools down I will definitely be making these!!

  • barbara

    Deeba Oh my , how delicious do these look. I want one now. And beautiful photographs. Screams autumn (which is my favourite season)

    Thank you for your lovely words and thank you for giving me your heart for LiveSTRONG Day.

  • penny aka jeroxie

    Fantastic recipe for a fantastic cause. I agree that blogging is a tight community. 🙂

  • Nic

    How funny that we both made soup! But I have to say that right now I could devour one of those gorgeous little pots of heaven. Genius idea to add the candied nuts! xx

  • Barbara

    Lovely pumpkin pots de creme, Deeba! And how marvelous you worked in the heart for
    LiveSTRONG. Such a good cause as sadly, cancer touches us all.

  • Barbara | VinoLuciStyle

    Love this focus on an organization begun by an American hero who has chosen to put his money and his celebrity towards building such a worthy cause.

    What a great idea and no lie, Chocolate Pots de Creme was the very first dessert I ever made that I thought was more elegant and adventurous than my girlish efforts with cakes, cookies and the like. What a great fall dessert!
    .-= Barbara | VinoLuciStyle´s last blog ..Bourbon Caramel Apple Pie with Toasted Pecan Crumble =-.

  • EW

    Great photos. I love the way you photograph food. The pumpkin pots really look delicious. Now if I can only find the time to bake this ….

  • Sue

    So much in one post! Your pots de creme and yellow Livestrong (heart) theme are GORGEOUS! Such a worthy cause to bring attention to. I have a soft spot for Lance Armstrong since he sent my brother-in-law a word of encouragement before he succumbed(at 49)to skin cancer.

  • Jamie

    Fabulous, sistah! I love pumpkin and every winter make my wonderful Pumpkin Soup as well as my delicious Pumpkin Pie which, strangely enough, is a family favorite! Now you’ve given me yet another fabulous recipe for pumpkin and I am so loving it! And I may even try roasting the pumpkin instead of steaming it. Gorgeous! And wonderful Taste of Yellow treat! xo

  • Sommer @ A Spicy Perspective

    Deeba~ They are GORGEOUS!

    I wonder if I could make them in sturdy paper cups for a HUGE Halloween party?

  • Mover Packer

    It’s the time of the year again that makes me walk towards the oven in a hypnotic trance and want to bake all day long. Its warming and comforting to have the oven on, to fill the house with warm flavours that give you joy.

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