Pumpkin Flan

Caramel:

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

Cook sugar and water on high heat until mixture is a dark amber color. Pour enough caramel in each ramekin to fully cover the bottom. Be careful caramel is Very hot. Flan is baked in a hot water bath so place ramekins in a large pan. Pour hot water into pan so that it comes 3/4 of the way up the side of the ramekins.

Flan:

1 qt milk

1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp extract

6 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Place milk, vanilla bean seeds and pod, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pumpkin puree to a medium saucepot. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer and remove from heat. While milk mixture is heating, mix sugar, eggs and egg yolks (and vanilla extract if using) in a bowl. Add a small amount (a cup or two) of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture. (this is called tempering...it brings the temp of the eggs up to help prevent the eggs from curdling) Add the egg mix to the hot milk. Mix well. Strain through a very fine strainer. Pour into prepared ramekins. Bake at 350 F for around 2 hours. Flan should barley jiggle when you shake them. Chill several hours before serving.