Pumpkin White Chocolate Creme Brulee

When I think back over all of the Thanksgivings I have celebrated, the menu hasn’t changed much. Turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy. As a kid with the fragrant smell of roasting turkey wafting through the house, I loved to sneak French fried onions off the top of the casserole, and stick black olives on my fingers popping them one by one into my mouth.

As much as I love tradition, I also like to break the rules. I think that it is completely acceptable to make something fun and new. It’s a holiday, celebrate! Why not!

This is a recipe that I had been monkeying around with for a few years and I am certain it would be a really amazing end to a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, and maybe even a good way to even impress your mother-in-law! 

Pumpkin White Chocolate Crème Brulee

2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup 2% milk
2/3 cup brown sugar
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Cinnamon-dash
nutmeg- pinch
cloves-pinch

Heat your oven to 300 degrees F

Heat  the cream, milk and spices in a saucepan over medium heat.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, mix the yolks and the sugar.

When the cream starts making tiny little bubbles around the edges of the pan, remove from the heat and stir in the white chocolate chips. When they are melted pour 1/3 cup of the cream mixture into the eggs and quickly stir to temper the eggs. Then add the rest of the cream and mix well. Add the pumpkin and stir until incorporated.

Pour your mixture into ramekins. Depending on the size of your ramekins this could be anything from 1/2 cup to over a cup. Fill them up and put them in a cake pan. Pour boiling water into the pan until it reaches 1/2 way up the sides of the dishes. Note- your ramekins are in the water, you are NOT putting water into the ramekins.

Put it in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until they are mostly set, just a little wobbly in the middle.

Remove from the oven and chill for a few hours.  

To serve, put 1 teaspoon of sugar on the top of each dessert.  Put the crème brulee under the broiler and let the top start to harden and turn a golden brown colour. You must watch them very closely, because burning happens very quickly under the broiler. Alternately- it you have a cooking torch; you can use that to caramelize the sugar.

Serve with a shaving of white chocolate on top.

Have a lovely holiday and enjoy the long weekend!