Gingered Pumpkin Custard. Beyond Pie - A series of my favorite pumpkin recipes.

Recipe #2. So I know this sounds really close to pie but I assure you, it is not. It's a completely different experience all together. First, we lose the crust. Second, this is a full frontal ginger experience that oddly does not overpower the pumpkin flavor, which I know sound contradictory. I promise, it's not. I taught a class two years ago using the book Root To Leaf from Steven Satterfield, Executive Chef at Miller Union in Atlanta. The book had just come out that year. The concept of root to leaf is so what I am all about that I just had to use this book in some of my classes. I love teaching right from a current cookbook to help take the scary out of the recipes and teach the techniques. Suffice to say, this recipe was the favorite of everyone in the class, myself included. It's not hard to make but there are a few steps, starting with cooking and pureeing your own pumpkin. I can't say it enough - freshly pureed pumpkin is far superior in flavor and health. It's so worth the effort, times ten. And please don't be afraid of a water bath. It's just little ramekins sitting on a rimmed baking sheet that you add boiling water to. No biggie. Don't be intimidated.

For Thanksgiving this year, I am going to make this dish BUT I am going to make one large one, using a soufle dish. Then I'm going to spread the top of the cooked and cooled custard with something that will look and taste like cheesecake but is actually a whole milk honey vanilla yogurt and then top it with crumbled gingersnaps. Boom! Or should I say, Bam! Please enjoy this recipe and the experience of making it. P.S. Thank you to my friend Julie Lafferty for not only attending that class but taking the picture of our little custards.

Gingered Pumpkin Custards (from Root to Leaf pg 312)

serves 4

1 small baking pumpkin or other small fall squash/ 1 cup pureed pumpkin

Butter for greasing ramekins

1 large egg

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish

Pinch of ground ginger and cloves

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

¾ cup heavy cream

½ cup whipped sweetened crème fraiche

Nutmeg for grating

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Using a large knife, cut the pumpkin in half through the stem. Scoop out the seeds and discard (or save seeds to roast for garnish) Place the pumpkin halves cut side down in a roasting pan and pour in ¼ inch water. Roast until the shell is easily pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. When the cooked pumpkin is cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the shell. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Measure out 1 cup of the puree, save the rest for another use.

Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Butter four 5 oz ramekins.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until frothy. Whisk in the pureed pumpkin. Then whisk in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, cloves, fresh ginger and salt. Whisk in the heavy cream.

Pour into the prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and set on the middle rack of the oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the baking pan until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custard is just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. To serve, top with crème fraiche and grated nutmeg.