Addicted || FLAN
My husband ADORES a flan. It's his favorite dessert. And can I confess to you I had never made him one? My mom and mother-in-law would make him one every once in a while as a treat. So I let them be the ones to pamper him. I would make him other desserts that he loves, like all sorts of chocolate cakes, lemon cakes, ice cream cakes, and even almond cakes, just because I really enjoy making these and I was really scared about making a flan. Not sure why, let's just call it 'a flan baking prejudice'. Until, my friend made my husband the most amazing flan ever as a birthday gift. I was delighted! She insisted on how simple it was and she even gave me her secret recipe, which I just had to share with you all. We can probably attribute its yumminess to the fact that it has two cans of condensed milk! Yup, you read right, two. Here it is-
For the Caramel Sauce:
1 cup of sugar
Flan:
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
2 measures of water of the condensed milk can you used.
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions :
1 || Heat oven to 400 F
2 || Place the ingredients for the caramel sauce (the sugar and water) in the pan you will use for the flan (I use a bread pan like this one). Place on a burner in medium heat. Mix ingredients only once and without mixing again leave it here until the sugar melts and turns into caramel (the water ends up evaporating and the sugar turns liquid and brown). About 8-10 min. Let this cool down.
3|| Blend the eggs, the condensed milk, and the vanilla together in a blender. Then add the first can of water and blend again ( most blenders will only fit one can of water at a time. So you can blend it in two batches). Pour half of this blended mixture into the loaf pan with the melted caramel to make room for the second can of water. Then, add the second can of water to the mixture and blend again. Pour this second batch into pan as well.
4|| This mixture in the loaf pan is going to go in the oven in a double boiler sort of system. So you will need to find a larger pan ( a casserole pan works well like this one), into which you will place this loaf pan. Cover the loaf pan with aluminum paper. Fill the casserole pan with water so that it reaches about half the height of your loaf pan. Place it inside the oven.
5|| Put it in the oven for 45 min. Then, take the aluminum paper off and lower the oven temperature to 350 F. and leave it here for approx. 30 min. (you may need to add another 15 min. All ovens are different and it also depends on how much water you placed in the double boiler. You will know when its ready if you place a tooth pick in the middle and it comes out dry.
6|| Let cool. This is a great dessert to prepare ahead of time as it last for days in the refrigerator. To unmold (does this word even exist? to take it off from the mold)- cut around the edge with a knife. Then turn on a burner for a few minutes to warm up the metal in the stove top. Turn the heat off and then place the pan on top of the stove top....this will loosen the melted caramel. Once you can shake it a bit and feel that its lose, you place on top of your serving dish and flip it over. Voila!!
I promise, this recipe is SO easy! Don't be afraid of the double boiler part in the oven. And its SO delicious. All your guests will want seconds. A big thanks to my friend Maria Cristina for sharing this secret recipe and for giving me permission to post it here. What are you addicted to lately??
[all photos by me]