Pumpkin custard

The sun sets early and cold breeze comes along with the darkness. Piles of pumpkins appear at every grocery stores. It reminds me that autumn is finally here. So I decided to translate this recipe from my Vietnamese blog to welcome the coming of autumn. Hopefully a wonderful season for all of us!

Recipe adapted from here
Ingredients:

1 medium pumpkin
200 ml coconut milk
4 eggs
1 cup palm sugar (or 3/4 cup sugar)
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Chocolate leaves:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp Crisco shortening
16 leaves

Method:

1) Use a paring knife, carefully cut out the top of pumpkin. Use a spoon to discard all seeds inside. Wash and drain well.

2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, salt until blended. Add coconut milk and vanilla, stir well. If you wish, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

3) Pour the mixture into the pumpkin.

4) Steam for 40~ 1 hour or until well done.

• I baked the pumpkin in a water bath at 400°F for 40 ~60 minutes.
  

5) Let cool then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Cut pumpkin in pieces and serve.

To make leaves:

1) Wash and dry the leaves.
2) Melt chocolate chips and shortening.
3) Use a new small paintbrush, brush melted chocolate in a thin layer on the under side of each leaf. Place the leaves chocolate-side up on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate them until set.
4) Gently peel leaf from chocolate.