Flan de Grace

Flan…there are a million recipes, and most of them are delicious!  Today we have Grace’s Flan which has been deemed by her family as the best flan ever. Having had enjoyed it more than once, I can tell you, it’s really good!

You may remember Grace’s Carne con Papas (Cuban Beef Stew) – can you believe that was back in November 2008? We can’t wait that long for Grace’s recipes…

We spent Sunday afternoon at her house, and while the flan cooked we enjoyed her delicious chicken salad and some “saladitos”, and as always wonderful conversation.

OK, let’s get down to business…

Ingredients

5 eggs

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

12 oz evaporated milk

1 Tblsp vanilla extract

¾ cup sugar

Process

This recipe makes approximately 10 servings.

1.  Add ½ cup of sugar to cover the bottom of a loaf pan.  
2. Add 6 Tblsps of water to the sugar.

1. Place the loaf pan on the stove on high.  Caramelize the sugar for about 14 minutes until the mixture gets thick and brown.

1. Once the caramelized sugar is done, take it off the stove and swirl the pan until the bottom is coated.

1. Let the pan sit until the mixture has hardened.

1. Place the evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, condensed milk and ¼ cup of sugar in a bowl.  

1. Mix for about 2 minutes until the egg is fully mixed. The mixture will be lightly thickened, but still drippy. 

 

1. Pour the egg mixture into the caramelized loaf pan.  You may hear crackling when the cold milk mixture hits the still warm caramel. Relax, it’s ok! That’s normal.

1. Place the pan into a room temperature water bath in a cold oven. Set the oven to 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

•  NOTE: DO NOT open the oven while cooking, as this will inhibit the flan from gelling (“se pasma” in Cuban Spanish). 

1.  After around 55 minutes, insert a toothpick into the center of the flan. It should come out semi-dry and the consistency should be firm but not  dry.

1.  Let the flan sit for at least an hour until it cools completely, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

• NOTE: This is a great make-ahead dessert. It can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

1. When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge until the flan is unattached from the sides.

 

1. Flip the flan on to a serving platter.

1. Pour the caramelized sugar syrup over the flan. Slice and serve.

Look! How beautiful is that?

Of course, a sweet, strong "cafecito" (Cuban coffee) follows the flan perfectly. 

Make this for your next dinner party - it'll be a hit!

¡Buen provecho!