Ingredients

Praline:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder

Caramel:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Flan:
1 cup each half-and-half and whole milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp. Tequila (optional)
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp. ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp. each ground cinnamon and salt
6 large eggs
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

Praline: Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil. In a small saucepan, heat sugar and water over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Boil, without stirring, until sugar mixture turns deep golden, swirling pan occasionally, about seven minutes. Stir in pumpkin seeds and chile powder; quickly pour onto foil and spread with a heat-resistant rubber spatula into a thin layer. Cool until hardened. Break into large pieces.

Caramel: Have ready a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish. in a small saucepan, heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Boil, withougt stirring, until sugar mixture turns deep golden, swirling pan occasionally, about seven minutes. Pour into souffle dish, tilting dish to coat bottom evenly. Place dish in a large roasting pan. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil for roasting pan.

Flan: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In asaucepan, whisk together everything but the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract; simmer mixture 2 minutes. Remove from heat. With a rubber spatula, scrape mixture through a eine-meshed sieve into a bowl, untilabout 1/3 cup solids remain inthe sieve; discard solids. In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until blended and smooth; slowly stir in 1/2 cup of the hot pumpkin mixture until blended. Scrape mixture through sieve back into bowl.

Pour into prepared dish. Fill roasting pan with hot water to come halfway up sides of dish. Bake 60 to 65 minutes, until set and a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let cool completely in water bath. Remove from water bath and cover; refrigerate until very cold at least 6 hours. Loosen edges of flan with tip of knife. invert serving plate on top of souffle dish; invert dish and plate; jiggling flan loose, letting caramel drip over custard and onto plate. Garnish with praline. Makes 8 servigs. Each serving 441 calories.

Notes