Light Vanilla Flan Food

VANILLA FLAN

Steps:

• Put 1/2 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until it begins to melt and turns brown around the edges. Pull the melted sugar around the edges toward the center of the un-melted sugar with a heatproof rubber spatula. Continue cooking, pulling the melted sugar, until all the sugar is melted and the caramel is uniformly dark amber (it should smell caramelly but not burnt), 10 to 12 minutes total. (If you still have undissolved lumps of sugar, stir it off heat until melted.) Pour the caramel into 8-by-2-inch deep cake pan in an even layer, 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep. Let the caramel cool; it will crack as it cools and that's ok.
• Bring the cream, milk and vanilla bean to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and steep for 30 minutes.
• Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Put the eggs, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a blender and puree on low speed until smooth and the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.
• Strain the cream mixture into the egg mixture and blend at low speed to combine, discarding any solids. Skim the foam off the top and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Remove any remaining foam from the top and cover the dish tightly with foil.
• Line a roasting pan with a clean kitchen towel; this will keep the baking dish from sliding and it will insulate the flan, preventing it from overcooking. Set the baking dish on a towel and pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the baking dish; the flan should not be floating. Bake the flan until it looks set like gelatin(it will wobble when gently shaken), 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, remove the foil and let cool. Cover the dish with plastic and refrigerate until set and cold, at least 3 hours and up to 24.
• When ready to serve, run a paring knife around the edges of the flan to loosen. Invert it onto a platter. Serve cold. The flan can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Unmold and serve.

LIGHT VANILLA FLAN

Steps:

• Spray six 6-ounce custard cups with cooking spray.
• Set aside.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan; place over medium heat.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and syrup is light golden brown.
• Pour into custard cups; let cool.
• Combine milks in a medium saucepan and heat until bubbles form around edge of pan.
• Combine egg substitute, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and almond extract; beat well.
• Gradually stir about 1 cup hot milk into egg mixture; add to remaining milk, stirring constantly.
• Pour mixture evenly into custard cups; cover with alumninum foil.
• Place custard cups in a shallow pan; pour hot water to a depth of 1 inch into pan.
• Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.
• Remove cups from water, and chill at least 4 hours.
• To serve, loosen edges of custard with a spatula; invert onto plates.

VANILLA FLAN

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar begins to melt. Using a pastry brush dipped in cold water, wash down the sides of the pan to eliminate sugar crystals. Cook, without stirring, until amber brown, about 25 minutes., Quickly pour into an ungreased 9-in. round baking pan, tilting to coat bottom of pan. Place pan in a large baking pan; let stand for 10 minutes., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325°. In a blender, combine eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Cover and process 1 minute or until well blended. Slowly pour into prepared baking pan., Add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until center is just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove baking pan from water bath; cool 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate overnight., To serve flan, run a knife around edge of pan; quickly invert onto a rimmed serving dish.

VANILLA FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a small heavy saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, without stirring, until golden caramel. Pour caramel into a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish, tilting dish to coat bottom and some of side with caramel.
• In a large bowl whisk together eggs, condensed milk, skim milk, and vanilla until smooth. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into soufflé dish. Put dish in a baking pan and add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up side of dish. Bake flan in middle of oven 1 1/4 hours, or until just set but still trembles slightly. (Flan will set as it cools.) Remove flan from pan and cool in dish on a rack. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Dip dish in a baking pan of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around edge of dish and invert flan onto plate.

VANILLA AND LIME FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F
• To make the caramel, heat together the water and sugar gently, over a medium flame, until it is golden brown, about 10 minutes, ensuring the mixture does not burn.
• Meanwhile, pour the condensed milk and whole milk into a pan. Add the lime zest. Slice the vanilla pod in half and carefully scrape out the vanilla seeds and add these to the milk mixture. Simmer the milk slowly for 15 minutes to let the flavors combine.
• Once the caramel is ready, pour into a cake pan and swirl it around to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
• In a bowl, crack the eggs and beat together. Slowly pour a little of the warm milk, vanilla, and lime mixture into the eggs. This will temper the eggs and prevent them from scrambling. Once the warm milk has raised the temperature of the eggs (tempered), pour in the rest of the milk. Pour all of the mixture into the cake pan over the caramel. Cook the cake pan in a water bath by placing the pan inside a larger pan that is filled half-way with water. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Once ready, allow to cool and place inside a refrigerator overnight. The flan is then ready to be flipped over gently and served.

FRESH FRUIT FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10-by-15 inch jelly roll pan.
• For the crust, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, cream together white and confectioners' sugars, butter, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients. Blend well. Spread the dough evenly on the bottom of the greased pan. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• For the filling, cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread over the cooled crust. Arrange the fruit on the cream cheese filling and refrigerate.
• For the glaze, mix together the sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Whisk in the water, orange juice, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil gently for one minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
• Spoon or brush the glaze evenly over the fruit. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

VANILLA FLAN-CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Pour cajeta into 9-inch round cake pan sprayed with cooking spray. Blend milk, cream cheese, 3 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar in blender until smooth. Mix flour, baking powder and baking soda until blended.
• Beat butter and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add remaining egg and vanilla; mix well. Beat in flour mixture alternately with sour cream. Pour over cajeta in pan. Carefully spoon cream cheese mixture over batter in pan; cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray, sprayed side down.
• Place filled cake pan in larger shallow pan. Add enough water to larger pan to come halfway up side of cake pan.
• Bake 1 hour 15 min. or until toothpick inserted in center of dessert comes out clean. Remove dessert from water bath; cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate 2 hours. Unmold just before serving.

VANILLA BEAN FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Heat 1% milk with vanilla bean halves in a small saucepan over moderate heat until hot. Remove from heat, cover, then steep 20 minutes.
• Cook sugar in a 6-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, swirling skillet to help sugar melt evenly, until melted and pale golden. Continue to cook, swirling skillet, until deep caramel, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately pour into custard cups, tilting cups to coat bottom. Let caramel cool.
• Whisk together whole egg, yolk, condensed milk, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Discard vanilla bean pod from steeped milk and gradually whisk milk into egg mixture.
• Divide custard among cups and bake in a water bath, loosely covered with a sheet of foil, in middle of oven until custard is set but still trembles slightly, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Remove cups from water bath and cool on a rack. Chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours. Unmold flans by running a knife around edges to loosen and inverting onto plates.

FLAN DE VANILLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small heavy saucepan, spread 3/4 cup sugar; cook, without stirring, over medium-low heat until it begins to melt. Gently drag melted sugar to center of pan so sugar melts evenly. Cook, without stirring, until melted sugar turns a medium amber color, about 5 minutes. Quickly pour into six ungreased 6-oz. custard cups., In a small saucepan, heat milk and cream until bubbles form around sides of pan; remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, salt and remaining sugar until blended but not foamy. Slowly whisk in hot milk mixture. Stir in vanilla., Place custard cups in a baking pan large enough to hold them without touching. Pour egg mixture into cups. Place pan on oven rack; add very hot water to pan to within 1/2 in. of top of cups. Bake 35-40 minutes or until center is just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove cups from water bath immediately to a wire rack; cool 10 minutes. Refrigerate until cold., To unmold, run a knife around edges and invert onto individual rimmed dishes. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.