Classic Flan
Taco Wednesday demanded a cool dessert given summer’s blasting heat. Flan seemed like the perfect choice, and, indeed, it was. I hadn't made flan in nearly 30 years, so I forgot how simple it is. The water bath is the only “strange” part of this recipe, since the caramel is much easier than you might think. Flan is delicious!
Classic Flan
Serves 10
Prep time: 10 minutes,
Bake time 70-80 minutes
Chill time: 3 plus hours, up to 2 days
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
12 ounce can Carnation evaporated milk
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
Optional: for non-traditional twist, add zest from 1/2 a lime or lemon and 1 teaspoon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place a 9-inch by 2-inch non-stick pie or cake pan on the counter, along with a roasting or baking pan large enough to hold your cake pan for the water bath.
Place the sugar and water in a small heavy-duty saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar melts, which can take longer than expected, and at one point, you’ll think the clumps of sugar will never dissolve. But they do. Stop stirring as soon as the sugar dissolves and bring to a boil. Swirl the pan frequently and watch the color. You want a rich caramel brown but not burnt! Once it reaches an amber-walnut shade, carefully pour the caramel into your cake pan and tilt the pan to distribute the sugar evenly.
Crack eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk until thick. Slowly pour in cream and whisk to blend, but not froth. Add the remaining liquids, salt, and zest and juice if using, then mix evenly (without beating) the custard. Pour the mixture into cake pan and cover with foil. Place the pan in a larger pan, open the oven, pull out the middle rack, set the large pan down, and carefully fill it with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Slide the rack back in and bake for about an hour to an hour and 10 minutes. Test if it’s done by uncovering the foil and gently moving the pan. The center should have a slight jiggle. Cook until you get that jiggle.
Remove from oven, place on a cookie rack, remove foil, and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours and up to 2 days. To serve, take it out of the refrigerator, run a knife around the edge of the pan, top with a serving platter with a lip, then, using both hands, flip the platter over. The flan should slide out easily. Tap the bottom of the pan if it doesn’t. Serve and enjoy.
Sally Uhlmann’s passion for cooking led her to publish a memoir-style cookbook, “Just Cook with Sally.” She splits her time between the States and her farmhouse in Cortona, Italy, when she is not traveling the world. Sally cooks, develops recipes, and writes stories—mostly about the intersection of food, travel, and her life.
