Pumpkin French Toast Sticks, Oatmeal Ice Cream, and Maple-Root Beer Foam

METHOD:

For the Oatmeal Praline:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the oats onto a sheet pan and toast, until golden. In a saucepan, heat the sugar and cook to a caramel. Coat the oats in the caramel and season with salt. Spread mixture over a silicone baking mat. Once solid, chop into small pieces.

For Oatmeal Ice Cream:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the oats onto a sheet pan with the cinnamon sticks and toast, until oats are golden. Combine the toasted oats, cinnamon, and milk and refrigerate overnight. The next day, pour the milk into a large pot and bring to a boil with the dried milk powder, condensed milk, cream, trimoline, sugar, stabilizer, and glucose. Temper in egg yolks and cook to 180°F. Cool down in the blast chiller. Refrigerate overnight and strain through a chinois before spinning in a batch freezer. As it extracts from the machine, fold in the oatmeal praline pieces.

For the Pumpkin French Toast Sticks:
Preheat a combi oven to 300°F with 50 percent humidity. Roast the pumpkin purée for 15 to 20 minutes, until it takes on some color. In a saucepan, combine the pumpkin, cream, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla bean and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and steep spices for 20 minutes. Strain cream, pour back into saucepan, and simmer. Whisk in the gelatin and temper in the egg yolks. Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens. Trim the crust off the bread. Line a half hotel pan with parchment paper followed by a layer of bread. Pour half the custard over the top. Put another layer of bread in the pan and pour the remaining custard into the pan. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and press with a stack of hotel pans. Refrigerate overnight. Once firm, cut the bread pudding into 3-inch x 1-inch pieces.

For the Spiced Syrup:
In a frying pan over medium heat, toast the cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla. In a pot, combine the spices, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and steep until cool. Add lemon juice and strain.

For the Pumpkin Confit:
Heat the bath of an immersion circulator to 185°F. Add the pumpkin Parisian balls to a vacuum bag and cover with Spiced Syrup. Seal the bag to compress the pumpkin. Cook sous vide 45 minutes, until pumpkin is tender. Cool overnight in the syrup.

For the Pumpkin Bavarian:
In a saucepan, combine the pumpkin purée, sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and egg yolks. Cook to 175°F, stirring constantly. Add the gelatin and mix to dissolve. Place over an ice bath to cool down without allowing the gelatin to set. When cool, fold in the whipped cream and pour into ¾-inch spherical molds. Freeze until firm, unmold, and refrigerate.

For the Pumpkin Sauce:
In a blender, combine the pumpkin purée with 280 grams Spiced Syrup. Blend until smooth and season with lemon juice.

Maple Root Beer Foam:
In a saucepan, bring root beer and maple syrup to a boil. Sprinkle in the lecithin and buzz with an immersion blender, until a foam forms.

To Assemble and Serve:
Brown the butter in a small sauté pan and sear 2 Pumpkin French Toast Sticks on all sides. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Smear some Pumpkin Purée on the plate. Place 3 pieces of Pumpkin Confit around the plate. Place 2 pieces of Pumpkin Bavarian around the plate. Plate the Pumpkin French Toast Sticks and scatter some Oatmeal Praline around the plate and in a small pile to anchor a quenelle of Oatmeal Ice Cream. Finish the plate with a few dollops of Root Beer Foam.