As Thanksgiving approaches, food writers, magazines, grocery stores and home cooks are buzzing with ideas for the November table. At FN Dish and across the web we’re celebrating fall flavors, and this week we’re focusing on carrots — versatile, colorful and perfect for seasonal dishes to share with friends and family.
I’ll admit I don’t eat plain carrots very often. I regularly add them to lentils and other legume dishes, toss them into soups and chili, and carrot cake remains one of my favorite desserts — I’d pick it over chocolate most days, especially with a generous cream cheese frosting. But carrots on their own? Less so.
Last Thanksgiving I posted a carrot recipe for the Food Network, so it’s time to give carrots another moment in the spotlight. For this post I created individual savory-sweet carrot flans in ramekins. They work well as a slightly sweet side dish or a light dessert. They’re easy to make ahead: once cooled, cover the ramekins and refrigerate for up to two days. Rewarm briefly and invert onto a serving plate just before serving.
These are not a traditional custard-style flan. I left out heavy cream and used 2% Greek yogurt, reduced-fat ricotta and a little half-and-half for a purée-like texture rather than a silky custard. I brightened the mixture with a touch of nutmeg, ginger and cardamom; cinnamon would also be lovely if you prefer. A small amount of maple syrup lends autumn warmth without overpowering the carrots.
Cook’s Tips
To help the flans release cleanly from the ramekins, butter the ramekins well and cut parchment rounds to line the bottoms, buttering the paper too. Another method: while warm, run a sharp knife around the edge, gently wiggle the ramekin to loosen the base, then invert onto a plate.
Light Carrot Flan
Ingredients
- 14 ounces peeled and sliced carrots
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoon Half & Half
- 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup divided (use 1½ tbsp in batter, 1 tsp per ramekin before flipping)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅜ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Simmer the sliced carrots in water over medium-high heat until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, Greek yogurt, ricotta, half-and-half, Parmesan, 1½ tablespoons maple syrup and the salt.
- Transfer the mixture and the cooked carrots to a food processor or blender. Puree until very smooth, then stir in ginger, nutmeg and cardamom to taste.
- Butter ½-cup ramekins and line the bottoms with buttered parchment rounds if desired. Spoon the carrot purée into the ramekins. Place the filled ramekins in a large baking pan and pour enough hot water into the pan to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the ramekins to a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge to loosen, gently shake to release the bottom, drizzle each with 1 teaspoon maple syrup, then invert onto plates.
- Lightly dust the tops with a pinch of nutmeg before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.