Pumpkin Profiteroles with Maple-Caramel Sauce

[kirra]

Pumpkin Profiteroles with Maple-Caramel Sauce
Peanut Butter & Julie

Ingredients:

Caramel Sauce:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup maple sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the pumpkin custard
3 cups heavy cream
2 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
9 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar

Pastry:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk

Lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional)
Toasted chopped pecans (optional)

Preparation:

Caramel Sauce:
In a small sauce pan, stir the butter and sugar over medium heat until the mixture is blended and smooth. Whisk in the cream and bring the mixture to a low boil, stirring until any remaining caramel bits dissolve. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the salt, rum and vanilla, and set aside.

Prepare the pumpkin custard: Preheat the oven to 325F degrees. In a large saucepan, whisk the cream, pumpkin puree, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and cloves until well combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Gradually stir the hot pumpkin mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously.

Place a kettle of water on the stove to heat. Pour the pumpkin custard into an 8X8X2-inch glass baking dish and cover the dish with foil. Place the dish in a large (13X9X2) baking dish.

Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake until the custard is set in the center, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely and then chill until cold, 4 hours.

Pastry:
Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil. Stir in the flour all at once and cook over medium high heat, stirring vigorously, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the dough at medium speed until slightly cooled, 2 minutes. Add 3 of the eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in the egg yolk until blended.

Transfer the dough to a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 16 mounds of batter, about the size of large eggs, onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl to blend. Brush the tops of the profiteroles lightly with the beaten egg.

Bake the profiteroles for 15 minutes, and then reduce the oven to 375F degrees. Continue baking until they are puffed and golden brown, 15-20 minutes longer. Transfer the pastries to a rack to cool completely.

To assemble, rewarm the caramel sauce. Using a serrated knife, slice the profiteroles in half horizontally. Spoon a 1/3-cup round of the pumpkin filling into the bottom half of each profiterole. Cover with the top halves. Drizzle with the sauce and top with whipped cream and chopped pecans.
Makes about 16 profiteroles.