Butternut Squash Crème Brûlée

You might or might not have noticed that my last post on Thanksgiving Dinner 2010 does not have any dessert. Well, there is in fact one and I was saving this dessert as an independent post. It is not your traditional Pumpkin Pie nor a Pumpkin Rice Pudding nor a Pumpkin Cheesecake. What is "better" than these dessert? A crème brûlée. A few months ago, my Mexican friend tried to make vanilla crème brûlée, but it was not a great succes. Now, my Australian friend attempted of making one with butternut squash and I was surprised how good it tasted. I can even say that this is one of the best crème brûlée I have ever eaten. I'm so glad that he shared this recipe.

Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Cooling Time: at least 2 hours or overnight
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

½ butternut squash, peeled
6 egg yolks
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 ½ cups heavy cream
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp raw sugar + 2 tbsp white sugar

Procedure

1. Cut butternut squash in cubes. Roast in oven for 60 mins at 350F. Purée.

2. Beat egg yolks and 4 tablespoons of sugar until thick and creamy. 

3. In a saucepan, heat cream over low heat, stirring, until it almost comes to a boil.

4. Add a little of the cream to the egg mixture, whisking briskly, then pour the mixture into the hot cream and whisk. 

5. Stir mixture and spices into squash purée. Adjust spices and sweetness to taste.

6. Preheat oven to 375F.

7. Pour mixture into individual ramekins or a large oven-proof dish. Put in a baking dish or tray, with hot water halfway up the side. 

8. Bake in the water bath at 375 F for 20-30 minutes. When it's done, it should have a jelly-like jiggle when you shake the dish slightly. Cool in the water bath for about 15 minutes, then chill in the fridge at least 2 hours or overnight.

9. Before serving, combine raw sugar and white sugar and sprinkle on top. Shake to remove/redistribute excess sugar.

10. Caramelize with kitchen torch or broiler, taking care not to burn the sugar.