Chocolate Espresso Flan Food

MEAN CHEF'S ESPRESSO FLAN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together egg and egg yolks.
• While whisking add the sugar slowly until fully dissolved.
• Add vanilla, heavy cream, milk, and salt and continue to whisk.
• In order to get rid of air bubbles in mixture, transfer to large bowl through a fine strainer.
• In the bottom of 6 (1/2 cup) ramekins (small ceramic custard cups), place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of caramel.
• When all 6 ramekins have caramel at the bottom, brush each bottom and side with melted butter to secure flan and yet allow it to be removed easily.
• Fill each ramekin with the flan mixture, SLOWLY to avoid air bubbles, until about 2/3 full.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place almost full ramekins in shallow baking pan and then fill the pan with boiling water.
• The hot water bath will allow the flan cups to cook evenly in the oven.
• Right before placing pan in oven, top each ramekin with a tablespoon of hot espresso.
• Bake for 40 minutes.
• When removing pan from oven, allow the ramekins to remain cooling in their original water bath.
• Ramekins can be covered and refrigerated overnight if necessary.
• Before serving, place ramekins in another shallow pan of warm water to loosen the custard.
• Run a thin knife around the inside edge of cup to further loosen, place a plate on top of ramekin and flip onto plate to serve.
• For the Caramel: In preheated saucepan over medium heat, pour in water and bring to boil.
• Add sugar and stir until caramel brown (about 4 minutes).
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 2 to 3 minutes.

CHOCOLATE WINTER FLAN

Steps:

• In a blender, blend together the eggs, evaporated milk, condensed milk, whole milk, cocoa, allspice and cinnamon until well incorporated and creamy. Bake either using the water bath or double boiler method below.
• To bake using the water bath method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Caramelize the sugar in a pan over the stovetop until a light golden brown, using a wooden spoon to stir. This is the trickiest part as sugar burns easily, so don't let it get too dark and keep mixing the sugar with the spoon. Don't step away from this process; once the sugar gets hot, it browns quickly. Once it is completely liquefied, pour into an ovensafe 6- to 8-inch round mold (a tempered glass pie dish works well) and coat the bottom and sides three-quarters of the way up.
• Fill an oven roasting pan or baking dish with about 1 inch of water and place the sugar-coated pie dish inside. Add the flan mixture to the pie dish and bake until the top is firm and the flan starts to pull away from the sides, about 45 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• To transfer the flan to a serving plate, make sure the sides are loose (you can run a thin knife around the edges to make sure it is not sticking to the sides), put a plate on top and in one fluid motion, invert the flan onto the plate and remove the pie dish. Refrigerate to chill before slicing and serving.
• To bake using the double boiler method: If you have a double boiler pan (which is what I typically use and is easier!), caramelize the sugar in the double boiler insert on the stovetop using the same method as above. Remove from the heat and, using a wooden spoon and by tilting and rotating the pan, coat all sides of the pan three-quarters of the way up.
• Fill the other double boiler pan with water about one-quarter full and bring to a boil while the sugar is caramelizing.
• Pour the flan mixture into the caramel and put the double boiler insert over the pan with the hot water. Cover and cook over medium low until the flan appears more solid and pulls away from the sides, about 45 minutes. Let cool to room temperature for about 2 hours before inverting onto a serving plate using the same method as above. Refrigerate and serve cold.

COFFEE FLAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Set a 7-inch cake (or pie) pan with 2-inch high sides inside of a larger baking pan or casserole dish (such as a 13 x 9-inch dish).
• In a small sauce pan, add instant coffee and water and heat until dissolved over medium heat. Add granulated sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, swirling pan several times until sugar is completely dissolved. Cook for about 5 minutes until mixture is golden brown. Careful not to scorch caramel.
• Carefully pour coffee caramel sauce into 7-inch pan. Set aside and allow to cool and harden.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, add instant coffee and warm water, whisking until coffee has dissolved. Add eggs one at a time whisking thoroughly between each addition. Continue with egg yolks.
• Once all eggs and yolks have been incorporated, add granulated sugar and combine. Add sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla extract whisking gently until combined. Careful to not mix too vigorously to prevent too many bubbles.
• Carefully pour flan mixture into prepared pan. Cover baking pan tightly with aluminum foil. Make a water bath by pouring water into larger roasting pan - outside of cake pan - until water reaches half way up outside of cake pan holding flan.
• Place on middle rack and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until set around edges with a slight jiggle in middle.
• Once flan is done baking, carefully remove from oven. Carefully remove flan from water bath and set aside. Remove aluminum foil or topper from pan and allow flan to come to room temperature.
• When flan is at room temp, replace aluminum foil or top and place into refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• When ready to serve, remove flan from fridge, run a butter knife along sides of pan to help release any portion of flan that may have become stuck during baking. Place a large enough plate (preferably with sides) over flan pan and quickly flip over. (Note: If flan has sat in fridge overnight, please remove about 30 minutes before ready to serve)
• Once flan has been flipped, gently attempt to lift pan up. If you notice flan has not yet released, gently push down on bottom of pan and gently push sides. This should help release flan onto dish.
• Slice and serve immediately, spooning extra Coffee Caramel Sauce on top. Enjoy!

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.