-
1
Preheat oven to 375F.
-
2
Heat a 2-quart souffl&e dish or round ceramic casserole in middle of oven.
-
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.
-
4
Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden, about 5 minutes.
-
5
Quickly and carefully remove hot dish from oven and immediately pour caramel into dish, tilting it to cover bottom and sides.
-
6
(Leave oven on.)
-
7
Keep tilting as caramel cools and thickens enough to stay in place.
-
8
Scald whole milk with evaporated milk in a saucepan and remove from heat.
-
9
Beat eggs and remaining cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
-
10
Beat in salt, pumpkin, tequila, and spices.
-
11
Pour milk mixture through a sieve into a bowl and beat into pumpkin mixture in a slow stream until combined well.
-
12
Pour custard over caramel in dish and set in a water bath of 1 inch hot water.
-
13
Put pan in middle of oven and lower temperature to 350F.
-
14
Bake until golden brown on top and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours, possibly longer.
-
15
Remove dish from water bath and transfer to a rack to cool.
-
16
Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 6 hours.
-
17
To unmold flan, run a thin knife around flan to loosen from sides of dish.
-
18
Wiggle dish from side to side and, when flan moves freely in dish, invert a large serving platter with a lip over dish.
-
19
Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter.
-
20
Caramel will pour out over and around it.
-
21
Cut flan into wedges and serve with caramel spooned over and with shards of praline.