My favorite dessert is the upscale Mexican custard … "Flan". When I lived in San Diego, California and went to a Mexican restaurant … if this was on the menu … I always ordered it. Delicious!
Flan
How to make rich, creamy baked flan complete with its own caramel glaze. This a perfect after-dinner dessert.
Servings: 8 (6 oz ramekins)
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Ready In: 5 hrs
Ingredients
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
• 1 can evaporated whole milk (12 fl oz)
• Whole milk, fill empty 14 oz can above
• 3 whole eggs
• 5 egg yolks
• Pinch of salt
• 12 tsp regular granulated white sugar
• Boiling water, ready to use
Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F. Ready 8 (6oz) ramekins. Pre-caramelize a layer of sugar into the bottom of each ramekin. Line ramekins evenly with 2 tsp sugar each. Arrange them evenly on a removable wire rack that can go into the oven, giving some space between each other. The wire rack is used for easy-in-easy-out of the oven. This will allow for the ramekins to get equal heat exposure all at once and maintain open airflow, unlike a baking sheet. (If you only have a baking sheet, you may use it instead, but it will take longer to caramelize.)
Boil water. Keep on low heat and ready to use.
When oven temperature reaches 400° F, place the wire rack with sugar-lined ramekins centrally on the lowest oven rack. Keep a close eye on the sugar and do not go anywhere. (This process is better done with a see-through oven door with oven light turned on so you don’t have heat escaping.) When you’ve got a nice golden brown color, which can occur quickly, remove the entire wire rack with ramekins from the oven. (If your oven has uneven heat distribution, you can remove just the ones which look ready and give the others more time, but again, keep a close eye). Once they turn a golden brown color, they can burn very soon afterward. Your new caramel glaze will start to harden and crackle as they cool. That’s all right. Turn oven temperature down to 325° F.
Whisk the three kinds of milk and salt together. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in a separate bowl. Then combine the milk and egg mixtures and mix well. Strain the mixture through a sieve to eliminate clumps. Separate mixture into the individual ramekins over the caramelized sugar.
Place ramekins evenly into a baking pan leaving space around each one. Fill baking pan with boiling water halfway up the ramekins. Bake in this water bath on the lower middle oven rack for 40-45 minutes until set but still jiggly in the center.
Remove and cool for 30 minutes. Individually cover each ramekin with plastic wrap making sure it’s air-tight. Chill for at least 4 hours, but better if you give it 8 hours.
When you’re ready to serve, uncover the plastic wrap and loosen the sides of the ramekins by running a paring knife around the edges. Invert and serve. (Inverting may be easier if you keep the pairing knife inserted and slightly pulled to let some air in, but be careful not to puncture the surface in the process.) Enjoy!
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