Halloween Special: Pumpkin Flan

You know I was going to title this post 'Fall or Autumn Special' but then I changed it because that term does not reflect the reality of those of us living in the tropics. Regrettably, we miss out on this beautiful transition of seasons. For us equatorial folks, the swathes of green foliage don't fade away into dazzling amber, maroon, gold and bronze hues. Green remains green and the weather remains hot and humid all year round. That being said, this season does see different varieties of pumpkin, squash and gourds flooding the markets (mostly imported 😄) and Halloween vibes kick in which help to liven things up a bit. 

This October, I'm bringing you a Halloween Special pumpkin dessert. Truth be told, I don't cook all that much with pumpkin or butternut squash so this is a recipe I am rather excited about. While on the subject of Halloween, the twins have had their costumes ready for over a month but with the current social restrictions, we don't know if there will be any scope for trick or treating 😕 We are keeping our fingers crossed! 

I'm assuming most people are familiar with flan. In case you aren't, flan is a dessert that is creamy in texture and has two distinct layers - a clear caramel layer and a custard layer. The basic ingredients in a flan recipe are eggs, milk, and sugar. This dessert is usually baked in a ramekin or circular pan that is placed in a water bath in the oven until set. When it is time to serve, the serving plate is placed face down on the ramekin, and then the ramekin is flipped upside down for the flan to slide on the serving plate with a runny amber caramel pooling all around it. This dessert is sometimes called Crème Caramel (a recipe that I have previously posted on the blog and is quite popular). You can have have so many varieties with this flan - cheese, coconut, rum, coffee, vanilla, chocolate, Dulce de Leche etc.

This flan is different because of the addition of pumpkin. I was browsing Instagram recently and my eyes were instantly drawn to this recipe that had been posted by feedfeed. It looked so good and I was surprised to see how simple the recipe was. The most tricky part in this recipe is making the caramel but once you do that, there is no other cooking involved. You chuck the rest of the ingredients in a blender, blend for a few seconds and add the mixture to the caramel coated ramekins and let the oven do its job. I made a mental note to try it out ASAP. Unfortunately, canned pumpkin purée is not something we get here readily so I had to make my own at home. Using the canned variety saves you about half an hour so if you get it then good for you.

My children LOVED this Pumpkin Flan. They ate it three days in a row until there were no more left. My husband and domestic helper gave their seal of approval too. I loved the smooth creamy texture, the perfume of the spices, the degree of sweetness that was just right and the fact that you could appreciate the subtle flavor of the pumpkin. This recipe is definitely here to stay.

I really hope you try this recipe. Refer to the notes below for tips and substitutions. 

This year I also made Pumpkin Spiced Chocolate Chip Bread for some friends. This is a recipe I've posted previously on the blog and it is a pretty good one. If you happen to have excess of pumpkin or squash, you can try it as well 😁

My kids LOVE Halloween. They have been dressing up and going trick or treating with their friends since they were three years old. And truth be told, I absolutely love dressing them up. So far we have covered all the easy costumes - witch, pirate, angel, princess, superhero, my little pony and mermaid. Methinks we need to start getting more creative in the coming years 😄

Happy Halloween in advance 👻

Play Areas, Butterfly Garden, Dog Run and more at Bukit Gombak Park, Singapore

New park alert!

I was so happy when I heard that Bukit Gombak park had opened to visitors. The area is not far from where we live and before the pandemic, we would frequent Home Team NS T-play which is in the same neighbourhood. Another nature park in the vicinity adds to the list of weekend outdoor activities to keep the kids occupied which is always a good thing. What's even better is that Whisk & Paddle has opened an outlet that sits right at the entrance of the park so I foresee yummy waffles & desserts in our near future 😊

Bukit Gombak Park is located along Bukit Batok West Avenue 5, opposite Bukit Batok Driving Centre. It is a 10-15 min walk from the Bukit Gombak MRT station. The main entrance is situated along Bukit Batok West Avenue 5. There are two approaches to the park – one from the HDB blocks at around block 394 and another from the Pavilion Park private estate which allow residents in the area easy access to the park.

The 4.8-hectare park is located on a hill and is part of a nature corridor connecting the Central Nature Park Network and the Tengah Forest Corridor in western Singapore. The park was created to provide surrounding residents with greater accessibility to green spaces and recreational facilities for families. 

With more than 1,500 trees, flowering plants, an inclined 400m-looped hill trek, butterfly garden, dog run, two areas with allotment gardens and elevated plots, a fitness area and two play areas for children, there is something for everybody.

It was a super bright Saturday and the sun was beating down on us relentlessly. The twins and I went up the inclined 400m-looped hill trek which included a flight of 108 steps, providing a panoramic view of the surrounding forest and greenery.

Durian Delights from The Durian Bakery Singapore!

Product Review

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Calling all Durian lovers in Singapore! 

Love it or hate it, durians are pretty hard to ignore aren't they? The King of Fruits typically floods the markets of Singapore between June and September and this would be the best time to enjoy the fruit and all the goodies made with it. But if you haven't yet then don't fret....you still aren't too late.

From initially being skeptical of the fruit to developing a liking and profound respect for it, my relationship with durian has evolved over the years. I have many friends who are durian obsessed but on the other hand, I have a some who either cannot stomach it or are petrified to try. I believe that sampling durian should be on everyone's bucket list. This misunderstood fruit has a lot to offer and definitely deserves more than one chance. 

To save you the trouble of deliberating where to go to get your durian fix this year, Best In Singapore carefully curated a list and one among their recommendations is The Durian Bakery. This is an expert bakery that specializes in baking delicious, rich durian goods. The kind folks at The Durian Bakery sent me some of their products to sample and review. I received the goodies last week, stuffed my face with them, shared them with family and friends and am bringing the detailed review to you today. 

Their website is very easy to navigate. There are some amazing durian-based cakes and patisseries to choose from. 

I scheduled the delivery on a weekend afternoon. I received my order within the allotted time slot. I liked the simple yet elegant box that it came in and how well everything was packed. 

Signature Pastries Taster Bundle

This bundle consisted of,

1x box of 12 D24 Durian Choux Puff

1x box of 6 D24 Snowy Mochi

1x pcs of Dark Choco MSW Mousse

The Durian Choux Puffs looked appetizing. They were light airy choux puff pastries generously filled with a luscious and decadent durian filling made using the thick and creamy D24. Both the pastry and the filling were top notch in terms of taste and texture. 

I love mochi and so I was eager to try these. The soft and squidgy Snowy Mochis had a delicate outer covering and a soft core again, generously filled with the goodness of the luscious D24. Yummy! 

The Dark Choco Musang King Mousse was the one that piqued my interest the most. It consisted of a delicate dome of dark chocolate dusted with gold encasing a fresh and silky musang king durian mousse and a durian core sitting on a base of hazelnut palette feuilletine. 

The natural bittersweet notes of the durian complemented the rich dark chocolate and the crunchy base nicely contrasted the texture of the smooth filling. Look at the cross-section and you can appreciate all the individual components.