Classic Flan Food

CLASSIC FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a small bowl of cold water and a pastry brush near the stove top. Place a 9-inch cake pan in a large roasting pan. Bring a large kettle or pot of water to a boil.
• Make the caramel: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, mix sugar and 3 tablespoons water, stirring to combine. Do not stir again. Cook, washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, or cover with a tight-fitting lid, to prevent crystals from forming, until caramel is amber, about 8 minutes, swirling pan to color evenly. Pour into cake pan, swirling to coat bottom evenly.
• Make the custard: In a small saucepan, heat milk with 1/2 cup sugar over medium just until mixture starts to steam and bubble around the edges, 5 to 6 minutes (do not let it boil).
• Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add ladle of hot milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. (This is called tempering, and it prevents the eggs from curdling.) Add two more ladles of milk mixture, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Gradually whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup or a bowl (to remove any cooked bits of egg). Stir in vanilla.
• Pour custard into cake pan. Place roasting pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to pan to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until custard is just set (it should tremble slightly in center when shaken), about 50 minutes.
• Remove roasting pan from oven. Use tongs to carefully remove pan from hot-water bath and place on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours (or up to 3 days). To unmold, run a sharp knife around the flan, and place a rimmed serving plate upside down over the top. Invert, and gently lift pan to remove. Serve immediately.

CLASSIC FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Divide caramel among six 3/4-cup custard cups. Working quickly, tilt cups, coating bottoms and part of sides.
• Stir milk and 1/2 cup sugar in medium saucepan over low heat just until sugar dissolves (milk will be lukewarm). Whisk eggs in medium bowl until blended. Slowly whisk in milk mixture. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Strain custard into prepared cups.
• Arrange cups in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake flans until just set in center, about 50 minutes. Remove cups from water and let stand 30 minutes. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Cut around sides of each cup to loosen flan; turn out onto plate.

LOW-SUGAR MEXICAN FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. To caramelize sugar: In 8-inch heavy skillet, cook 1/3 cup sugar over medium-high heat until sugar starts to melt, shaking skillet occasionally to heat sugar evenly. Do not stir. Once sugar starts to melt, reduce heat to low. Cook about 5 minutes or until all of the sugar is melted and golden brown, stirring as needed with wooden spoon.
• Immediately divide caramelized sugar among six 6-ounce custard cups; tilt cups to coat bottoms evenly. Allow to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine eggs, evaporated milk, 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla.
• Place custard cups in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Divide egg mixture among custard cups. Place baking pan on oven rack. Pour hottest tap water available into baking pan around custard cups to a depth of about 1/2 inch.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted near center of each flan comes out clean. Remove cups from water. Cool on wire rack. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.
• To unmold, loosen edges of flans with knife, slipping point between flans and side of custard cups. Invert dessert plate over each flan; turn plate and custard cup over together. Remove cups from flans. Spoon any caramelized sugar that remains in cups on top. If desired, serve with fresh fruit.

CLASSIC FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Stir 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Divide caramel among six 3/4-cup custard cups. Working quickly, tilt cups, coating bottoms and part of sides.
• Stir milk and 1/2 cup sugar in medium saucepan over low heat just until sugar dissolves (milk will be lukewarm). Whisk eggs in medium bowl until blended. Slowly whisk in milk mixture. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Strain custard into prepared cups.
• Arrange cups in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake flans until just set in center, about 50 minutes. Remove cups from water and let stand 30 minutes. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Cut around sides of each cup to loosen flan; turn out onto plate.

CLASSIC FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Separate the sugar into 1 and 1/4 cup and 1/4 cup. Take a round, raised-edged, flat bowl and put the sugar in it. spread the sugar out so that there is a nice, thin layer of it on the bottom.
• Put it on the stove on low heat. This will be the caramel. DO NOT STIR. The sugar must be burned but not to the point of bitterness. This is aprroximately 3-4 minutes, or when it starts turning slightly darker than the color of Clover Honey. After the caramel is done, put the bowl aside.
• Put the eggs, the two milks, the cinnamon, and the remaining sugar into a blender, and mix on high.
• Pour the blended mixture into the bowl with the caramel on the bottom.
• Take a long, flat pan, with raised edges and pour the 3 cups of COLD water into it.
• Place the bowl in the water and put it in the oven (this is to retain the moisture of the flan).
• Bake for 30 minutes at 350.
• Bake for 90 minutes at 200.
• Chill for AT LEAST 1 hour.
• cut around the putting, around the edges of the bowl, and flip!

CLASSIC MEXICAN FLAN - CUSTARD WITH CARAMEL TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Melt 1/2 cup sugar in small saucepan over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar becomes amber in color, 10 minutes (do not stir).
• Pour caramel into the bottom of a 5-cup souffle dish.
• Bring milk, cream, remaining 3/4 cup sugar and cinnamon stick to boil in small saucepan over medium heat.
• Remove from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, vanilla and salt in large bowl.
• Strain milk mixture through a sieve into eggs; whisk to combine.
• Discard cinnamon stick.
• Strain mixture again into prepared dish.
• Place dish in a roasting pan, making sure there is at least one inch of space between the edge of the dish and pan.
• Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up side of dish.
• Bake until custard is just set, 60 to 65 minutes (mixture will jiggle slightly, but that's okay).
• Remove flan from oven.
• Let flan cool in hot-water bath 15 minutes.
• Remove dish from water bath and cool completely on wire rack.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• To serve:.
• Run a knife around edge of baking dish.
• Place a serving plate slightly larger than dish on top.
• Invert flan onto plate. Makes 8 servings. Makes a luxurious finale to your favorite Mexican meal!

CLASSIC MEXICAN FLAN

Steps:

• In a small saucepan melt sugar over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is a dark, caramel-colored liquid.
• Remove from heat and pour into a 4 cup metal ring mold or 8 individual molds.
• Quickly turn mold to coat bottom and sides with the caramel.
• Let cool so caramel hardens.
• Heat oven to 325.
• Put the condensed milk, milk, eggs, egg yolks and flavorings into an electric blender.
• Cover and blend to mix well.
• Pour mixture into mold; put mold in a larger pan filled with water to depth of 1/2 inch.
• Bake for 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and remove mold from water.
• Cool and then refrigerate up to 2 days.
• Cover mold with an inverted serving platter.
• Hold mold and platter together and turn them over.
• Lift off mold.
• Caramel will fall as a liquid sauce over the custard.

CLASSIC HONEY FLAN

Steps:

• Combine eggs, milk, 1/4 cup honey and vanilla.
• Beat until mixed but not foamy.
• Combine remaining 1/4 cup honey and cinnamon in small bowl; mix well.
• Place 4 (6-ounce) custard cups in 8-inch square baking dish.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon honey-cinnamon mixture into each custard cup; divide egg mixture into each custard cup.
• Place baking dish on middle rack of oven; pour boiling water into baking dish around custard cups to 1-inch depth.
• Bake at 325 degrees F 30 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
• Serve warm or cold.
• Loosen edges of individual custards with spatula or knife; invert onto dessert plates.