Creamy Pumpkin and Red Bean Paste Pots de Crème Recipe

Ryan Thomas is a university graduate who enjoys cooking recipes from a wide variety of culinary traditions.

My great crusade recently has been an effort to use up all of the things that have been stockpiled away in my pantry cupboards. There are so many cans and containers of different things, and all of it needs to be put to use in some way! What use can be found for pumpkin butter? Some ideas easily leap to mind—maybe adding it to pancakes, pies, or ice cream. But what about the idea of combining it with red bean paste?

On the face of it, it seems like an odd marriage. The two flavors are quite distinct: red bean paste has a fruity, sweet, somewhat chocolatey flavor, whereas pumpkin butter has a bright sweetness with a hint of cinnamon and spice. I hadn't heard of anyone trying to mix these two ingredients before, but I decided to forge ahead.

The effort was well worth it. The flavors married perfectly, resulting in a smooth and creamy pot de crème. It was especially delicious when topped with some sliced fruit (for example, strawberries) or whipped cream.

I based this recipe on a previous red bean paste pot de crème recipe, Adzuki-Chocolate Pots de Crème.

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Ingredients

• 9 1/2 ounces pumpkin butter
• 1.1 pounds red bean paste
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 6 egg yolks
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the pumpkin butter, red bean paste, sugar, vanilla extract, milk, and heavy cream. Heat over a medium flame until it begins to boil and all of the ingredients dissolve. Simmer for several minutes. Then turn off the heat and remove from the burner to allow it to cool somewhat (10-15 minutes).
2. Beat the egg yolks in a ceramic bowl using a mixer until they are thick and pale. Beat some of the custard mixture into this, then pour it all into the saucepan.
3. Place ramekins (I used 8 and probably more will be needed) into the largest possible baking dish that you have, and ladle the custard into all of these. Fill up the sides to around halfway up the ramekins (preferably all of the ramekins are around the same size).
4. Place the baking dish into a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. The top should have a slightly crinkled and browned appearance, while the interior should still be soft and creamy. Once cool, refrigerate until chilled.
5. They can either be served on their own, or with powdered sugar, whipped cream, fruits, etc. One could even easily provide a crème brûlée style topping with a layer of torched sugar.

Comments

Umesh Chandra Bhatt from Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, India on February 11, 2021:

Interesting.