PUMPKIN FLAN, FLAN DE CALABAZA (MADE ONTO A FLAN CAKE)

Steps:

• 1. Caramelized sugar; Do this first; in a large saucepan dump 2 cups of sugar into the pot. Use a large wooden spoon to mix. Put on high heat and begin to stir the sugar until it begins to melt. keep stirring; never leave the pot unattended; and stir constantly. The sugar will begin to melt and turn a light brown keep stirring; lower the heat to medium and continue stirring until your sugar is a golden brown syrup. Be very careful not to burn yourself. I never allow any children in the kitchen when I am doing this. You cannot afford to be distracted when you are doing this. A sugar burn is very serious. When the sugar is a golden medium brown color; pour into an oblong pan. Like a small lasagna pan. With oven mits on; hold the pan with both hands and tip the pan like if you were going to pour out the syrup but what you are doing is bringing the syrup up on each edge of the pan; on all four sides to coat the sides and the whole bottom of the pan. You must coat the sides as high up as possible with all with the hot caramelized sugar syrup. You must work fast to coat the sides of the pan. When you have coated all four sides and the bottom; set the pan aside and prepare the flan.
• 2. Turn on your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a very large lasagna pan that will hold your smaller pan inside of it. If you have a teapot fill with water and begin to heat. When the wistle blows turn off. Set it aside; If you do not have a tea kettle heat about 4 cups of water just until boiling. turn off set aside. In a blender add the four eggs, the can evaporated milk, the can of condensed milk, the sugar, the heavy cream, salt, and vanilla. Turn on the blender to medium high and blend for 30 to forty seconds. Now pour your milk mixture into another container leaving half the milk mixture in the blender, add 1 1/2 cups pumkin into the milk mixture and blend for about half a minute. When throughly mixed pour into a bowl now take the remaing pumpkin puree and the rest of the milk mixture and blend again for half a minute. Now pour the rest of the mixture into the same bowl with the first half of the mixture. With a large spoon or a wire wisk mix all the contents real real good. Now take this mixture and pour all of it into the caramelized coated pan. Now put this pan into the larger pan. Cover your pan with the flan mixture with heavy duty aluminum foil crimp the edges all around; and set the large pan on the lower rack of the oven. Now pour the hot water into the larger pan careful not to burn yourself. Pour just up to the halfway mark of the second pan that is sitting inside the larger pan. Close oven and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. After the time has passed remove the large pan from the oven carfull not to burn yourself. I usually put on top of my stove and let cool somewhat. With my oven mits on I remove the smaller pan and set on a wooden chopping board and let cool. I dump the hot water right away. After the flan has cooled for a few hours I remove to the refrigerator and let get cold overnight. The next day; I remove the foil and cover with a larger pan and flip it over. My flan looks beautiful. I place back in the frigerator until serving time. Enjoy
• 3. In my picture above I made two large flans and inverted one and then inverted the other one on top of it. I made a double flan cake. Tomorrow is my husband's birthday and this flan cake (No batter) is his favorite dessert. This is two pumpkin flans one inverted over the other. I will serve with a little whipped cream on each piece tomorrow. Enjoy