The Perfect Flan Food

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.

FLAN

Steps:

• To make the caramel: have ready a 2-quart round flan mold and a large roasting pan. Combine 1 cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a heavy-bottomed pot or pan. Place over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar begins to melt. Swirl the pan over the heat until the syrup darkens to a medium amber color, about 10 minutes; don't stir with a spoon. Remove from the heat and immediately add the lemon juice, swirl the pan again to combine, and then pour into the flan mold. Tilt the dish so that the caramel evenly coats the bottom and a bit up the sides, place in the roasting pan and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, bring a kettle of water to a boil for the water bath and keep it hot.
• Combine the cream, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-low flame. Bring the cream to a brief simmer, stirring occasionally. Take care not to let the cream come to a full boil to prevent it from spilling over.
• In a large bowl, cream together the whole eggs and yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar; add a pinch of salt. Whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Temper the egg mixture by gradually whisking in the hot cream mixture; don't add it too quickly or the eggs will cook. Pass the mixture through a strainer into a large measuring cup to ensure that the flan will be perfectly smooth. Pour the custard into the caramel-coated mold.
• To create the water bath: pour the hot (not boiling) water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the mold; be careful not get water into the custard. Carefully transfer to the middle oven rack, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the custard is barely set and just jiggles slightly. Let the flan cool in the water bath, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• When you are ready to serve, run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the flan. Place a dessert plate on top of the flan and invert to pop it out.

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!

COCONUT FLAN

Steps:

• Over medium-low heat, melt sugar until it caramelizes.
• Pour the caramel into a flan dish to coat bottom.
• Beat eggs until foamy.
• Add sweetened condensed milk, then milk, and finally the coconut and vanilla.
• Mix well with each addition.
• Pour mixture into flan dish.
• Place flan dish into an oven-proof dish, and add water (enough to come up to the top 1/3 of the flan dish).
• Bake at 325ºF for approximately 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• Allow to cool, and refrigerate.
• Serve cold with fresh whipped cream.
• May be refrigerated up to 3 days.