Pecan Flan Food

SPANISH FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a 9 inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely.
• To serve, carefully invert on serving plate with edges when completely cool.

FLAN

Steps:

• (This recipe should be made at least one day before serving.) Adjust a rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Stir together the sugar and ¼ cup water in a small heavy saucepan until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, until the mixture begins to turn golden. Gently swirling the pan, continue to cook until sugar is a honey color. Remove from the heat and swirl the pan until the sugar is reddish-amber and fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Carefully swirl in 2 tablespoons of warm tap water until incorporated - be careful as the mixture will bubble and steam. This whole process should take less than 10 minutes.
• Pour the caramel into an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan; do not scrape out the saucepan. (Note: The caramel will solidify when you pour it into the loaf pan. That's ok -- it will soften up again as it bakes.) Set the loaf pan aside. (To clean the hardened caramel from the saucepan, fill the pan with water and bring it to a boil.)
• Whisk the eggs and yolks in large bowl until combined. Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, vanilla, Bourbon, and salt and whisk until incorporated. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl to remove any bits of egg; then pour the strained custard into the loaf pan over the caramel. Cover the loaf pan tightly with aluminum foil.
• Place the loaf pan in the center of a 9x13-inch baking or roasting pan (preferably with high sides) to make a water bath. Place the nested pans in the oven; then, using a tea kettle or pitcher, pour hot water around the loaf pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. Bake for 75 to 90 minutes. Very carefully pull back the foil (there will be steam that has accumulated under it) to ensure the custard is set around the edges but still a bit jiggly in the center. (Don't worry that it seems undercooked. The custard will continue to cook as it cools, and the center will set completely -- I promise!) Carefully remove the pans from the oven. Remove the foil and leave the flan in the water bath for 1 hour to cool.
• Remove the loaf pan from the water bath and wipe the pan dry. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight or up to 4 days.
• To unmold the flan, carefully slide a sharp knife around the edges of the pan. Invert a platter with a raised rim (to contain the liquid caramel) on top of the flan and turn the pan and platter over. If the flan doesn't release immediately, let it sit inverted for a minute and it should slide out. If it still doesn't come out, try running the knife around the edges again. When the flan is released, remove the loaf pan. Using rubber spatula, scrape the residual caramel onto the platter. You won't be able to release all of the caramel - that's okay. Slice the flan and spoon the sauce over individual portions. (Leftover flan may be covered loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
• Note: If you would like to omit the Bourbon, replace with an additional 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

PECAN FLAN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Bring 3/4 cup sugar and water to boil in small saucepan on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook 6 to 8 min. or until deep golden brown. (Do not stir.) Pour into 9-inch round pan; tilt pan to evenly cover bottom with syrup.
• Blend milk and cream cheese in blender until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, 1 cup nuts and remaining sugar; blend just until smooth. (Do not overmix). Pour over syrup in pan; cover. Place filled pan in larger pan; add enough water to larger pan to come halfway up side of smaller pan.
• Bake 50 min. to 1 hour or until knife inserted near center of flan comes out clean. Cool 10 min. Carefully transfer flan from water-filled pan to wire rack; cool completely.
• Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Unmold flan onto plate. Garnish with remaining nuts. Serve topped with COOL WHIP.

BUTTER PECAN FLAN CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Cake Mix: Mix cake according to the directions on the back of the box. Combine Cake mix, sprite, oil, vanilla extract, caramel flavoring and eggs, mix well. Do not use both water and coke.
• 2. Flan Part: Combine evaporated milk, sweet condensed milk, eggs, vanilla extract and caramel flavoring, mix with mixer or in a blender. Mix for 2-3 min. Set aside. You can use 3 to 5 eggs, the more eggs you use the creamer the flan will be. \ Set flan mixture aside.
• 3. Caramel Sauce: Spray Bundt pan with Pam or Joy (flour plus oil) spray. Pour of 1 1/2 cups Cajeta or caramel sauce/topping into bottom of bundt pan.
• 4. Assemble the cake: 1. Spray 12 cup bundt pan with Pam or Joy (flour plus oil)spray. 2. Pour 1 1/2 cup Cajeta or caramel sauce into bottom of bundt pan. 3. Pour cake batter evenly on top of caramel that is in the bundt pan. 4. Slowly pour flan mixture on top of cake batter. The flan mixture will sink to the bottom of the cake batter by itself. This will cause the cake batter to rise up in the bundt pan. Make sure it doesn't overflow.
• 5. Prepare cake to bake: Get a pan large enough for the bundt pan to fit inside. I use a 9 x 13 inch cake pan. Fill the 9 x 13 inch pan with 2 inches of water. Place bundt pan in the pan with the water in it. Place both pans in the oven. Cover the bundt pan with foil for the first 35 minutes of baking.
• 6. Bake the cake: Preheat oven 400 degrees, Bake about 1 hour. Start checking cake after 45 minutes and check every 15 minutes until done. It is very important for cake to be completely done or flan will not set. Check cake with toothpick, also take a knife and gently pull the cake a little from the middle tube/center of cake and peak at cake. If gooey the cake is not done and put back in oven. Also, the cake will separate from the sides and middle of the pan when done. This seems to be the most difficult part about baking this cake. If cake is not done then the flan will be not set up. When done remove bundt pan from larger pan with water and set on cooling rack.
• 7. Serving the cake: Although very tempting DO NOT serve before cooling cake! Cool cake on cooling rack at room temperature then place cake in refrigerator at least 2-3 hours before trying to serve. I make mine the night before and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 1-2 hours before serving. Take a large serving platter and put on top of bundt pan and flip cake over. The cake will come out of the bundt pan. This cake is layered with the cake on the bottom, topped with the flan and the caramel on top and dripping down the sides of the cake. If transporting the cake to another location leave the cake in the bundt pan and flip it onto a platter when you get there.

CREAMY CARAMEL FLAN

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, cook sugar and water over medium-low heat until melted and golden, about 15 minutes. Brush down crystals on the side of the pan with additional water as necessary. Quickly pour into an ungreased 2-qt. round baking or souffle dish, tilting to coat the bottom; let stand for 10 minutes. , Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour over caramelized sugar. , Place the dish in a larger baking pan. Pour boiling water into larger pan to a depth of 1 in. Bake until the center is just set (mixture will jiggle), 50-60 minutes. , Remove dish from a larger pan to a wire rack; cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight. , To unmold, run a knife around edges and invert onto a large rimmed serving platter. Cut into wedges or spoon onto dessert plates; spoon sauce over each serving.

MAPLE PECAN TART

Steps:

• For crust:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until smooth. Add sugar, egg yolk, and salt; beat until blended. Add flour and beat just until dough begins to clump together. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 10 1/2-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• Place crust in freezer 30 minutes before filling and baking.
• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Whisk in maple syrup, corn syrup, melted butter, and salt. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked crust. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake tart until filling is slightly puffed and set, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Tent loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature.
• Cut tart into wedges and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

THE PERFECT FLAN

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine cream, milk and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream mixture; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in another heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Quickly pour caramel into six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Using oven mitts as aid, immediately tilt each ramekin to coat sides. Set ramekins into 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
• Whisk eggs, egg yolks and 7 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl just until blended. Gradually and gently whisk cream mixture into egg mixture without creating lots of foam. Pour custard through small sieve into prepared ramekins, dividing evenly (mixture will fill ramekins). Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake until centers of flans are gently set, about 40 minutes. Transfer flans to rack and cool. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. Cover and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead.)
• To serve, run small sharp knife around flan to loosen. Turn over onto plate. Shake gently to release flan. Carefully lift off ramekin allowing caramel syrup to run over flan. Repeat with remaining flans and serve.

FANTASTIC FLAN PIE

Steps:

• Line unpricked pastry with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. , Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the eggs, milk, condensed milk, sugar, vanilla and salt; cover and process until smooth. Pour filling into crust. , Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 20 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover edges with foil the last 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. , Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Garnish with fruit. Refrigerate leftovers.