Thanksgiving is around the corner and you’re ready to indulge in stuffing and golden turkey. Your family members are excited show off their cooking skills, especially your aunt, who will be sure to glance at you from across the table when you eat her signature dish. She will expect a compliment, and you better say something nice, even if it’s not that great.

If you want to do more to enjoy the annual feast, save your family from your aunt’s distasteful carrot cake and try your hand at baking dessert this year. With this simple recipe and the necessary ingredients, you are sure to please your loved ones… and their stomachs.

My mother’s plain crème caramel is appetizing and versatile, to be savored while sipping on hot coffee or your favorite cocktail. I’ve added pumpkin and nutmeg to give this recipe a holiday twist.

Crème Caramel

Ingredients:

Caramel sauce:

1 cup of water
2 cups of sugar

Crème caramel:

4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
1 dash of nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

For the caramel sauce:

Place ingredients in a saucepan on the stove at a medium-high heat. While the sauce heats up, stir to mix it together. Once the sauce is a dark amber color, take it off the heat. Carefully, pour the caramel into a baking pan and spread it around the sides of the pan with a spoon. Set the caramel-lined pan aside to cool, but remember, you must move quickly so the sauce doesn’t harden on the pan.

For the crème caramel:

Combine the evaporated milk, pumpkin puree and nutmeg in a medium-sized bowl. Carefully whisk without making bubbles. Let the mixture sit.

In another bowl, crack four eggs, add a pinch of salt, one teaspoon of vanilla extract and one can of sweetened condensed milk. Mix carefully, careful not to make bubbles again.

Pour the milk and pumpkin mixture into the egg-based mixture and blend together.

Pour the combined mixture through a strainer and into a baking pan. Again, be careful to not make bubbles; they may jeopardize the texture of the dessert.

Bake the crème in a water bath for about an hour, or until the dessert jiggles.

Let it cool in the baking pan for at least 10 minutes before passing a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and plate it.

Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Email Gabriela Reyes at [email protected], or follow her on twitter @Gabriela_Reyes1.