Spiced Pumpkin Custard

Ingredients

3 cups half-and-half
6 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
cup molasses
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups puréed pumpkin, or about 1 ½ cans
Whipped topping or sweetened whipped cream

Preparation

Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a small saucepan, bring half-and-half to a simmer; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Mix in pumpkin and warm half-and-half. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Set dish in a large baking pan. Add hot water to the large pan to a depth of about 1 inch. It should come about halfway up the side of the inner baking dish. Bake at 325° for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until custard is set in the center. It should only jiggle very slightly. Cool completely before serving; can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping.