Ginger Flan Food

GINGER FLAN

Steps:

• Mix crust ingredients together& press into a 9 inch flan ring with removeable base (or a pie dish).
• Bake for 10 minutes, then cool completely.
• Blend filling ingredients well& spoon into cold crust.
• Chill for at least 2 hours.
• Just before serving, peel& slice mangoes or wash raspberries (if using fresh).
• Top the flan with your fruit of choice& garnish with candied ginger, if desired.

SWEET GINGER FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar with lime juice and water. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until mixture has a deep caramel color. Keep scraping down sides of pan and watch carefully because the sugar will burn easily. Immediately pour into an 8-cup souffle mold and set aside.
• Warm the milk and add the ginger and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain out ginger and vanilla bean.
• Whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and the eggs. Beat in the milk and mix well.
• Pour the flan into the mold and place in a shallow pan filled with warm water. Bake for 1 hour, 10 minutes to 1 hour, 30 minutes, until custard is set. Remove from oven and cool. Refrigerate when cooled and let set about 3 hours.
• Unmold on serving plate; the caramel will have turned to liquid and become a light sauce. Arrange the papaya slices in the sauce and serve.

STEAMED FLAN WITH GINGER

Steps:

• In the stove-proof baking pan, combine the sugar, ginger, and ⅓ cup (80 ml) of water, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a roiling boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer, constantly and very carefully stirring the mixture or swirling the pan. (Use an oven mitt or tongs to hold the side of the pan and swirl slowly.)
• After about 5 minutes, the mixture will foam, then turn a mahogany brown and begin to thicken. Keep gently stirring or swirling just until the mixture is deep brown, thick, and gooey, 2 to 3 minutes more, being careful not to burn the caramel. Remove from the heat immediately and let cool slightly, making sure the ginger is evenly scattered across the bottom of the pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until uniformly yellow, with no whites visible. Continue whisking while slowly adding the condensed milk. When the mixture is thoroughly combined, repeat with 2½ cans of water (measuring the water in the can will help dislodge any milk stuck to the sides), then set the custard aside.
• If using a steamer, add enough water so that it almost reaches the rack. If using a wok or pot, put the cup or trivet in the bottom and add enough water so it almost reaches the top of the cup or trivet. Carefully put the pan with the caramel on the steamer rack or on top of the cup or trivet. Slowly pour the condensed milk mixture over the caramel, then cover the steamer or wok. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
• When the water comes to a boil (look for steam coming out from under the lid or quickly lift the lid to check), lower the heat so the water simmers. Cook the flan until the edges are set and starting to bubble, and the middle is jiggly, 5 to 6 minutes. You can insert a chopstick or cake tester into the center of the flan to double- check its doneness; it should come out clean.
• Carefully remove the pan from the steamer or wok and let it cool. Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. To serve, run a knife around the flan; firmly hold a round, rimmed platter or pie dish against the top of the pan; and flip the pan over to invert the flan onto the platter. Slice into wedges and serve with the caramel sauce spooned over the top.

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.

COCONUT-GINGER FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350'F. Bring one quart of water to a boil.
• In a thin saute pan, cook the sugar over medium heat until it is amber-coloured and bubbly. (Do not stir while it is cooking, or you will get spun sugar and a big mess.) Watch the pan closely and lift the pan off the burner if the sugar is cooking quickly or unevenly. Shake the pan to distribute the melting sugar. When the sugar is completely caramelized, pour the hot mixture into the bottom of a 3-quart flan mold, Bundt pan, loaf pan or individual molds. Rotate the mold(s) in your hands, using potholders, so that the sugar syrup covers the entire bottom of the pan. Set aside. Please be careful, because the sugar is extremely hot, and it can burn your skin.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk, sweetened coconut milk, (or un- sweetened coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk) egg yolks, eggs, vanilla, and ginger and whisk well. Pour the batter over the caramelized sugar in the mold, making sure to evenly distribute the crystallized ginger. Top with the sliced almonds.
• Place the flan into another pan a bit larger. Add the hot water to the large pan around the flan mold, to come halfway up the sides. Cover with a lid or foil so that both pans are covered completely (bain-marie).
• Bake the flan for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the flan from the water bath and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. TO serve, loosen the sides with a knife and flip the flan mold over onto a platter. Garnish with flowers or fresh fruit and serve.
• Hint: It is better to make this a day ahead and chill it until it is as icy cold as possible, so that the flavors have time to blend.