Persimmon Flan Food

PERSIMMON FLANS WITH HONEYED WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon, coriander, and nutmeg. Using an electric mixer at moderate speed, being mixing, adding the eggs one by one. Then add the persimmon pulp until the mixture holds together. Add the evaporated milk, vanilla, and lemon juice, and mix until the batter is smooth. Set aside.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the remaining 3/4 cups of sugar with water and cook over medium heat until the mixture caramelizes, about 10 minutes. When the sugar has caramelized, immediately remove from the heat to stop cooking.
• Assemble four (6 to 8-ounce) ramekins or custard cups. Wearing an oven mitt on the hand that holds the saucepan, carefully pour a little caramel into the bottom of each ramekin. Then pour about 1/3 cup of persimmon batter on top of the caramel. Set the prepared ramekins in a deep-sided baking dish and pour enough water around them to reach halfway up the sides. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the flans are set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Refrigerate each flan, covered with plastic wrap, to set.
• Just before serving, whip the cream in a medium bowl until it forms soft peaks. Blend in the honey, then whip again. Set aside.
• Remove the flans from the refrigerator and run a small paring knife around the rim of each. Hold a dessert plate over the top of each ramekin and invert so that the flan and caramel are positioned in the center of each plate. Place a dollop of honeyed whipped cream on each portion and serve.

PERSIMMON FLAN

Steps:

• A day ahead, make the persimmon puree.
• Put all ingredients for the puree in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat; cook for 3 to 4 minutes if fruit is very ripe and soft, up to 10 minutes if less ripe.
• Pour into a glass bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Purée in a food processor and pass through a sieve to remove solids.
• The next day, make the custard.
• Place piloncillo and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until piloncillo dissolves; set aside.
• Place sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in bowl of an electric mixer and blend while adding eggs, one at a time, then persimmon purée. Blend in piloncillo mixture and lemon juice.
• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• In a saucepan, heat sugar and water over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring, until mixture turns amber in color and reaches 325F to 355F degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Immediately pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of caramel in bottom of 8 four-ounce glass baking cups.
• Let cool briefly, then pour custard on top. Place cups in a water bath, cover with foil, and bake until a knife inserted in center of custard comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Chill before unmolding.

SPONGE FRUIT FLAN

Steps:

• Open the tin of fruit and strain the juice or syrup into a cup. Make up 1/2 pint (2 cupfuls) of the fruit juice by adding water if necessary. Heat the juice and water in a saucepan, until it is just boiling. Remove from the heat and add the jelly. Stir until the jelly melts. Leave a few minutes to cool, then put into the fridge, freezer, or other cold place, until the jelly is half-set. (This will take about 1/2 to 1 hour according to the temperature: the colder it is, the quicker the jelly will set).
• When the jelly is half-set, arrange the fruit in the sponge flan in pretty patterns. Spoon the half-set jelly on the top and leave in a cool place to set completely (15-30 minutes, depending on the temperature). Leave any spare jelly to set, then mash with a fork and serve separately with any spare fruit. (If the jelly gets too set before you remember to finish the flan, it can be thinned down by carefully adding 1 to 2 tbsp boiling water to the set jelly and stirring hard, to make it soft again).