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1
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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2
Heat a 2-quart souffle dish or round ceramic casserole in middle of oven.
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3
Cook 1 cup sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden.
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4
Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden, about 5 minutes.
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5
Quickly and carefully remove hot dish from oven and immediately pour caramel into dish, tilting it to cover bottom and sides.
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6
(Leave oven on.)
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7
Keep tilting as caramel cools and thickens enough to stay in place.
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8
Scald whole milk with evaporated milk in a saucepan and remove from heat.
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9
Beat eggs and remaining cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
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10
Beat in salt, pumpkin, tequila, and spices.
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11
Pour milk mixture through a sieve into a bowl and beat into pumpkin mixture in a slow stream until combined well.
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12
Pour custard over caramel in dish and set in a water bath of 1-inch hot water.
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13
Put pan in middle of oven and lower temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake until golden brown on top and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours, possibly longer.
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14
Remove dish from water bath and transfer to a rack to cool.
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15
Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 6 hours.
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16
To unmold flan, dip bottom of souffle dish briefly (20 to 30 seconds) in a warm water bath.
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17
Then, run a thin knife around flan to loosen from sides of dish.
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18
Wiggle dish from side to side and, when flan moves freely in dish, invert a large serving platter with a lip over dish.
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19
Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter.
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20
Caramel will pour out over and around it.
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21
Cut flan into wedges and serve with caramel spooned over and with shards of praline.
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22
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
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23
Lightly oil a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
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24
Cook sugar, water, and a pinch of salt in a deep 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a metal fork, until melted and pale golden.
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25
Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden.
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26
Immediately stir in pumpkin seeds and quickly pour onto foil, spreading into a thin sheet before it hardens.
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27
(If caramel hardens and is difficult to spread, put in a 400 degree F oven until warm enough to spread, 1 to 2 minutes.)
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28
Cool praline on baking sheet on a rack until completely hardened, then break into large pieces.
