2 sugar pumpkins, seeded and cut into melon-like crescents
4 oz dark amber (Grade B) maple syrup
4 T butter
1 C small diced onion
2 T minced garlic
¼ C small diced carrot
¼ C small diced celery
8 cups chicken stock, warm
¼ t cardamom
½ t rubbed sage
2 t cinnamon
½ t nutmeg, freshly grated
¼ t cloves
¼ t allspice
½ t black pepper
½ C heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mascarpone
½ t cardamom
1 T dark amber (Grade B) Maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup small maple syrup nuggets or granulated maple sugar
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place cleaned pumpkin wedges onto non-stick baking sheet, and coat with maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast until tender, approximately 40 minutes. Cool. Scrape pumpkin off skins, and set aside.
Melt half of butter in large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add carrots and celery. Cook slowly for 10 minutes. Add balance of butter and when fully melted, turn heat up to medium high. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent and garlic is aromatic (about 2 minutes). Add dry spices and toast them for 1 minute. Pour in warm stock, and stir in roast pumpkin. Cook for about 20-25 minutes for flavors to blend.
While soup is cooking, mix together mascarpone, cardamom, and maple syrup. Season and chill in refrigerator.
Purée soup in small batches in blender. Place puréed soup into an empty pot. Once all soup is completely puréed, place the pot of puréed soup on low heat to keep warm. Stir in cream. Make certain soup does not boil! Next, divide into individual warmed soup bowls. Sprinkle each portion with maple sugar, and brown with brulée torch. Allow each guest to break their own brulée. Then garnish with cardamom/maple mascarpone.