Note:  This delightful Pumpkin Flan has a nice rustic consistency and a wonderful Autumn flavor.  It will keep in the refrigerator (covered) for several days.

Ingredients

For the caramel:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

For the custard:
1 small fresh pumpkin
Olive oil
Pinch of cinnamon
Zest from 1 large or 2 small oranges (Note: I use a microplane zester for this.)
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream

Hot water

You will also need:
Baking sheet
Small saucepan
10-12 small (3″ or 4″) ramekins
Large baking dish (for water bath)
2 medium-large mixing bowl
Roux whisk or large spoon

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

To cook the pumpkin, slice it in half, remove the seeds and the stringy material in the center.   Rub it (inside and out) with olive oil.  Place it cut-side down on the baking sheet and bake it for about 40 minutes until the pumpkin flesh is mushy.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.  (As an alternative, you can saute the pumpkin flesh in olive oil until it is mushy.)

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, place the ramekins into the large baking dish and set aside.

Make the caramel by heating the sugar (3/4 cup) and the water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook it until the mixture turns a golden color, watching to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Pour the hot caramel carefully into the ramekins, distributing evenly.  Set aside. (This mixture will get hard as it cools so don’t worry when you see that happen.)

Scrape out about 1 1/2 cups of cooked pumpkin and place it into one of the mixing bowls.  Mash it so that most of the lumps are gone.  Add the cinnamon and the orange zest.  Stir and set aside.

In the other mixing bowl, combine the sugar and eggs and beat well by hand to combine.  Add the flour and mix well.  Stir in the cream.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the egg mixture and stir well to combine.  Pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins, filling to about 3/4 full.

Add hot water to the baking dish until it comes about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins, being careful not to get any water into the ramekins.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes until the flan is set.  Remove from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes.  Take a knife and run it around the inside of each ramekin to loosen the flan.  Let the flan cool for about a half hour on the countertop.  Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

To serve, invert the flan into a small dish.  The caramel should flow out of the ramekin to make a delicious sauce.  Serve with a nice garnish of nasturtiums, mint, fruit, candied oranges or something of your choice.

Serves 10-12.

Note:  Contact me if you would like the metric conversions for this recipe.

This torte is crispy and chewy and filled with delicious Meyer-lemon flavor.  It looks a bit like an ugly duckling, but you can dress it up nicely with candied lemon slices and fresh mint.

Ingredients
2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
Pinch of salt
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup olive oil
Zest of 3 Meyer lemons
Powdered sugar
Mint (optional)
Candied lemon slices (optional)

Candied lemon slices (optional):
2 Meyer lemons, sliced thinly
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup sugar

You will also need:
Two medium-sized mixing bowls
Roux whisk or spoon for mixing
10″ springform cake pan
Parchment paper
Spray oil or butter for the pan
Small saucepan

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Prepare the springform pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper.  Spray the sides very lightly with oil or rub lightly with butter.  Set aside. 

Mix together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt and set aside. 

Beat the eggs and sugar together by hand until they are fluffy and smooth (about 30 seconds).  Add the olive oil and mix well to combine.  Add the lemon zest. 

Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and stir just to combine.  Add the rest, stirring just to combine.   Pour the ingredients into the prepared pan.  Bake for about about an hour.  The top will be crusty and the inside will still be very moist. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.  Slide a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the torte.  Invert onto a platter to cool. 

Meanwhile, put the sliced lemons, water and remaining sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about an hour until the lemon slices have candied.  Remove the slices gently from the liquid and spread them out to cool.  (Note that the liquid will set like jelly and you can use it for other purposes – like to spread on toast!). 

Place the torte onto a decorative dish and dust it with powdered sugar.  Decorate with the candied lemon slices and fresh mint, if desired.

Serves 12.

One of my favorite Autumn treats is chestnuts.  I was recently in the Ardeche region of France for a mushroom hunt and was thrilled to see all of the chestnut trees lining the roads. 

In some regions, chestnuts are used as substitutes for potatoes, as they are quite starchy.  They taste great in both sweet and savory dishes. 

Roasting chestnuts is actually very easy.  Just take a knife and make an “x” cut in the rounded side of the chestnut.  Then roast them for about 20 minutes in a 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) oven.  Pour them out onto a kitchen towel, wrap them up in the towel and let them cool for a few minutes.  Then peel off the outer shell. 

Eat them on the spot or save them for your favorite soup or stuffing recipe (or maybe for Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Chestnuts).  Chestnuts will keep for several months in airtight containers in the freezer, too.

Ingredients
4 cups ripe raspberries, rinsed

For the topping:
1/3 cup (approx. 5 Tablespoons) butter, softened
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Large pinch salt

For the crème fraiche:
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1/8 cup brown sugar

You will also need:
Pie dish
Utility knife
2 bowls

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400^oF.

Place the raspberries into the pie dish.

With hands, mix together the topping ingredients until moist. Sprinkle topping over the raspberries. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown (start checking at 25 minutes – will depend on the oven).

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Mix together crème fraiche and brown sugar. Refrigerate until serving. Spoon over top of crisp

Serves 6.