Autumn Glow (and Pumpkin Flan Recipe)

I step outside my door this morning and am surrounded by an ethereal light. Under an overcast sky, a solid blanket of gray, the trees down my street flaunt their colors. Haloes of pink, yellow, orange and green hover over them and tint the air around them. Like statues of saints they stand, calling me to bowed reverence and worship. I take in the miracle work: in just a short time, up and down the street, the trees have changed from varieties of greens to a parade of indescribable color. I can’t help but take notice and am stopped in my tracks.

Out at Ox BowPark, the trail leads me into the forest. Like a cathedral, the trees are arches reaching to the sky and the light filters through a colored window made of leaves. In the quiet, I soak in the earthy smell of fallen tree limbs and imagine how many pilgrims have followed this same path below my feet. In these hushed surroundings, I let go of my overloaded thoughts and regain energy. 

For these few glorious weeks, I am in the front row of nature’s show. That’s one of the things that makes northern Indiana beautiful. I can sit and watch the leaves steadily falling as I share breakfast with a friend, or get up and out to rake them. I can walk among them and hear the crisp crunch and swish as my feet disturb them. But mostly, I just watch the progression from green to brown. I wait for the last bow and that feeling of wonder that lingers for a few days after a spectacular show. Then, life will return to normal and I’ll get ready for the next event. The first few flurries of snowflakes will fall and a whole new production will be unveiled.

Meantime, I’m slowly checking out new recipes for the holidays and here’s one that works well with cooler temperatures and uses local pumpkin. As I made it this week, it put me in the right mood for these seasonal changes.

Pumpkin Flan with Caramel

Caramel:

⅔ c. sugar

¼ c. water

Cook sugar and water in a heavy pan, until sugar begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar turns a deep golden color, about five minutes. Pour caramel into 6 soufflé cups, tilting them to cover the bottom. Be careful; hot caramel can really burn!

Flan:

¾ c. pumpkin 

½ c. sugar

3 eggs

1 t. pure vanilla extract

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. ginger

⅛ t. nutmeg

Pinch of allspice 

Pinch of salt

½ c. half and half

½ c. heavy whipping cream 

Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk pumpkin, sugar, eggs , vanilla and spices until smooth. Slowly whisk in half and half and cream. Divide into the soufflé cups. Place in a glass baking dish. Fill with boiling water until the water reaches midway up the sides of the soufflé cups. Bake for 55 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool. Refrigerate until cold. 

To serve, run a sharp knife around the sides of the soufflé cup and turn over onto a plate.