Caramelized Coffee Flan Food

FLAN DE CAFE (COFFEE CARAMEL CUSTARD)

Steps:

• In a small, heavy frying pan, heat the 3/4 cup sugar over medium-low heat until it begins to dissolve. Shake the pan slightly, but do not stir, until all the sugar has melted, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat and stir the sugar as it begins to bubble and take on color.
• When the sugar is a dark, caramel color, pour into a 6-cup charlotte mold or souffle dish and quickly turn in all directions, tipping the mold or dish from side to side until the surface -- the bottom -- and about 2 inches up the sides is lightly coated with the caramel. If the caramel thickens before it reaches this point, then heat the mold over a low flame until the caramel runs more smoothly.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Place the milk, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar into a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve sugar. Continue boiling -- being careful the mixture doesn't boil over -- until the milk has reduced by about half a cup, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and coffee powder, and set aside to cool.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and yolks together; when the milk is tepid, stir the eggs into the milk. Pour through a strainer into the prepared mold or dish; set in a hot-water bath and bake in the lower third of the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until custard is set and a knife comes out clean; cooking times vary with the depth of the mold. Set aside to cool completely before refrigerating; the flan should be served chilled. To unmold, carefully insert a blunt, thin metal spatula around the rim of the custard and gently tip the mold from side to side to see if it is loose. If the caramel on the bottom of the pan has hardened, place in a pan of hot water to loosen and test again. Unmold into a serving dish.

COFFEE CARAMEL FLAN (4 WW POINTS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly until slightly thickened. Stir in caramel topping and coffee drink mix. Remove from heat.
• Whisk egg whites in a large heatproof bowl. Very gradually stir hot milk mixture into egg whites.
• Pour about 1/3 cup of mixture into each of four 1/2-cup ramekins. Place ramekins in a shallow baking dish and add enough hot water (on outside of ramekins) to rise about 1 inch up sides of ramekins.
• Bake until firm and puffy, about 30 minutes. Carefully remove baking dish from oven, lift out ramekins and let cool before serving. To serve chilled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Yields 1 per serving.

CARAMELIZED COFFEE FLAN

Steps:

• Place the sugar in a small heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the sugar crystallizes into lumps (about 15 minutes). Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and turns a light golden brown (about 15 minutes). Quickly pour the hot caramel mixture into an ungreased 8 inch round cakepan, tilting to coat the bottom evenly. Set aside. (The mixture will harden -- this is supposed to happen!).
• Combine eggs and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a wire whisk until the coffee granules dissolve. Pour the egg mixture over the caramelized sugar in the cakepan.
• Place the cakepan in a large shallow baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish to a depth of 1 inch. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center of the flan comes out clean.
• Remove pan from water, and let cool. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
• To serve, loosen the edge of the custard with a spatula, and invert onto a serving plate.

COFFEE FLAN

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook sugar in a dry small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Immediately pour into a 9-inch round ceramic or glass baking dish or metal cake pan (2 inches deep) and tilt dish to coat bottom (use caution, dish will be hot). Cool until hardened, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Blend remaining ingredients in a blender, in 2 batches if your blender is small, until smooth. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve over caramel in dish, then transfer dish to a 17- by 11-inch roasting pan lined with a kitchen towel. Cover dish loosely with a piece of foil, then pour enough boiling-hot water into roasting pan to reach 1 inch up side of dish. Bake until custard is set but still wobbly in center when gently shaken and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Transfer dish to a rack to cool completely, about 40 minutes. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 8 hours.
• To unmold flan, run a thin knife around edge of dish to loosen flan. Invert a large platter with a lip over dish. Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter. Caramel will pour out over and around flan.

COCONUT FLANS WITH COFFEE CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Stir together espresso powder and water until powder is dissolved.
• Cook 1/2 cup sugar with a pinch of salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel.
• Remove caramel from heat and whisk in espresso (mixture will steam and bubble vigorously). Once bubbles begin to subside, immediately divide mixture among ramekins, tilting to coat bottoms, and let stand until hardened, about 10 minutes.
• While caramel hardens, bring coconut milk and whole milk just to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring, then remove from heat. Whisk together whole eggs, yolks, salt, and remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a large bowl, then add warm milk mixture in a stream, whisking. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure.
• Divide custard among ramekins. Arrange ramekins on towel in a small roasting pan lined with a folded kitchen towel (bottom only). Bake custards in a hot water bath, uncovered, in middle of oven until custards are set around edges but still tremble slightly in centers, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Run a thin knife around side of each flan to loosen, then transfer ramekins to a rack and cool completely. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours.
• To unmold, invert small plates over ramekins and invert flans onto plates.

TOFFEE CARAMEL FLAN

Steps:

• Butter six 3/4-cup ramekins.
• Combine the white sugar with the water in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar reaches a dark golden brown. Immediately pour about 2 tablespoons into each of the ramekins, tilting to spread the caramel evenly along the bottom. Arrange the ramekins in a baking dish 2 inches deep and set aside.
• Combine the milk, cream, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean in a heavy saucepan. Bring just to a boil, cover and remove from the heat. Let steep for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk the eggs, yolks, brown sugar, molasses and Amaretto together in a medium bowl. Uncover the milk mixture and return it to the stove. Bring just to the boil again. Whisk about one-third of the hot milk into the egg-sugar mixture to temper it. Whisk in the remaining hot milk. Strain the custard through a fine sieve. (We skipped this step.) Pour into the caramel-lined ramekins, filling them to just below the rim. Pour enough warm water into the bottom of the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until almost set but still somewhat liquid in the center.
• Chill completely before serving. To unmold, run a small knife around the edge of the custard, invert onto a serving plate and give the ramekin a firm, sideways shake.

CARDAMOM-COFFEE FLAN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cook milk, orange zest, cardamom, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. coffee in saucepan 5 to 7 min. or until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Reserve for later use.
• Meanwhile, cook water, corn syrup and remaining sugar in separate saucepan on medium heat 15 to 20 min. or until mixture is a light amber color, gently swirling pan every few minutes. (Do not stir.) Turn off heat. Add remaining coffee; stir until dissolved. Pour into 9-inch round pan; swirl to evenly coat bottom of pan with sugar mixture. Cool slightly.
• Pour reserved milk mixture through fine-mesh strainer into blender or food processor container. Add cream cheese; blend until smooth. Add eggs; blend well. Carefully pour over syrup in pan.
• Place filled 9-inch pan in larger pan, then place on middle rack in oven. Add enough water to larger pan to come halfway up side of 9-inch pan.
• Bake 48 to 57 min. or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove flan from water bath; cool completely.
• Refrigerate flan 4 hours. When ready to serve, place flan pan in larger pan filled with hot tap water. Let stand 2 min. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen flan; unmold onto plate.

COFFEE FLAN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cook water and 3/4 cup sugar in saucepan on medium heat 8 min. or until mixture is golden brown and of syrup-like consistency, carefully swirling pan every few minutes. (Do not stir.) Pour into 9-inch round pan.
• Blend milk, cream cheese and coffee in blender until smooth. Add eggs and remaining sugar; blend well. Pour over syrup in pan. Place pan in larger pan. Add enough water to larger pan to come halfway up side of filled pan.
• Bake 50 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove flan from water-filled pan; place on wire rack. Cool completely.
• Refrigerate flan 4 hours. Unmold onto plate; spoon any caramel sauce from bottom of pan over flan. Serve topped with COOL WHIP and cinnamon.