Pumpkin Pots de Creme with Candied Pecans Recipe

I'm bracing myself. Pumpkin recipes are hitting Blogosphere, and I couldn't be happier. Pumpkin is about the only squash (or is it a fruit?) that I truly love. For those of you who hate pumpkin pie, just send me your share. I'm in.

Pots de creme (PO-de-[insert phlem here] and say from deep in your throat "c-h-hrem") is a simple dessert. I think of it as a baked custard. Actually, Pots de Creme is a lot like a creme brulee. Both are baked in a bain marie (water bath). The only real difference is that a brulee has caramelized sugar, from a blow torch.

I hoard canned pumpkin. I'm probably the reason that there is a "supposed" pumpkin shortage. I eat pumpkin year-round. Here's one cup. Isn't uncooked pumpkin a pretty…