Flan
Flan is one of the absolute classic Spanish dessert recipes! This sweet custard is found on the menu of nearly every restaurant. This baked custard originated with the Romans, but the Spanish took the idea and made it their own! This recipe can be a little intimidating, but don't worry, you can do this! The instructions and photos below are very clear and you should be able to master this great dessert with no problems! Just one thought, be careful with the hot sugar. I got a drop of the hot stuff on my finger and burned the heck out of it! Ouch! Other than that little mishap, my flan came off without a hitch. I like to infuse the milk with some extra flavors. They are subtle in the final product, but really add a nice delicate touch. Give this recipe a try, you won't regret it!
 
Serves: 4-5Preparation time: 20 minutes active time, 1 1/2 hours baking time INGREDIENTS 2 cups milk 3 eggs 1 egg yolk 3/4 cup sugar 1 cinnamon stick, or 1/4 ts of ground cinnamon 1 large piece of lemon zest 1 TB rum 1 ts vanilla extract 1/8 ts ground nutmeg DIRECTIONS We start by infusing some flavor into the milk. Put the milk in a medium saucepan with the lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and rum. Slowly bring this to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Once done, set aside to cool (this is important). You will need some custard cups suitable for the oven. You don't necessarily need flan cups, but you need something about 3" wide by about 2" tall. In a small non-stick skillet, spread out 1/4 cup of the sugar. We are going to create the caramel to go in the custard cup. Heat the sugar carefully and it will start to melt. Stir until you get a nice golden brown color. Pour about 1/2 TB into each cup and tilt the cup to spread the caramel to cover the bottom of each cup. You need to work fast as the caramel will harden quickly! Go ahead and preheat the oven to 300°F. Now in a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, and vanilla and beat until foamy. Pour in the milk (it has cooled, right?) through a strainer to remove the extra bits. Mix the milk and eggs well. Pour the mixture into each cup as near the top as you can. Place the cups (not touching each other) in a deep baking pan or dish. Pour boiling water into pan around the cups so that you have about an inch of water in the pan. This creates a water bath for the custard. Bake now for 1 1/2 hours. Check the custard with a thin knife in the center of one of the flans. Remove from the oven when done and remove the cups from the bath to cool. Can be served at room temperature or cooled. Remove from the cup by sliding a thin knife around the edge of the cup. Enjoy! See, that wasn't too hard, now was it?!  Return from Flan Recipe to Home
|
