French Friday with Dorie: Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Flan

It was fun to choose a cooking project this morning that would fit in with my personal week.  Tomorrow I am teaching a holiday appetizer idea class for the ladies at church, so I chose a recipe from the four assigned for November that could double as one of my appetizer ideas;  Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Flan.  And to make this project more fun, my daughter, Stephy-Wephy, arrived early with her little "Pumpkin" to help and to taste and to make my morning delightful.

I have several little ramekins that I use for custards, creme brule, and flans of a different type so they were readied for this unusual-to-me flan.

We blended the ingredients, poured the custard into the ramekins, topped the flan with Gorgonzola cheese crumbles and chunks of walnuts.  They were placed on a paper towel lined baking sheet and put into the pre-heated oven.

Hot water was poured into the pan until it came about half way up the ramekins.  After only 20 minutes, these little flans were ready to come out of the oven for cooling.

I found my hot canning jar lift-out-of-the-hot-water-bath-tool that Stephy-Wephy insisted on using to place the flans onto the cooling rack.  Like a new toy!

Stephy was excited to find a pretty display plate and to photograph the flans.  She also added a pretty piping of sour cream for our taste test.  Nice work, Stephy!

After filling 18 ramekins there was a little pumpkin mixture left over--so we made one without the nuts or cheese for 8 month old "Pumpkin" to taste test.

I wondered if she would like the pumpkin vegetable and did not expect her to enjoy her flan.  However, she ate every bite, cleaned her bowl, and then got mad that there was not more.  Amazing.  I think she has a new dinner item to add to her list of favorites.

YUM!

 

 

 

 

 

The folks at the office are into my weekly cooking.  They have been asking when I am completing my next assignment.  They want to taste!!!  So, gotta keep them all happy.  I took a few to the office for them to try.  They were surprised that my pretty flans were not sweet.  With that dollop of (sour) cream, pumpkin, and nuts, they were all expecting a sweet custard dessert.  I admit that my brain wanted to have a sweet pumpkin taste too.  But it was fun to try a new flavor for the pumpkin that was without cinnamon, sugar, etc.

My office tasters comments were:
savory
buttery
adult type appetizer  (Yea...I CAN use this for my appetizer class)
Vetetable!  This MUST be healthy! 
You might add a little more salt
What other cheeses would be delicious in this...how about that melty Gruyere?

Everyone who "tasted" ate the whole thing...no noses were turned up for this vegetable.  And, since my little "Pumpkin" loves this dish, I will be making it again!

I am excited to see what everyone else chose to cook.  I'm getting some great Thanksgiving ideas!