Caramel Flan {Flan de Caramelo} – Confessions of a Recipe Junkie (2024)

Caramel Flan {Flan de Caramelo}

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Caramel Flan is the only Flan allowed to grace our lips. It is one of three desserts that when it’s on the menu, no matter how full we are, we must order it. There is nothing better than taking that first bite and the caramel custard just melts on your tongue. And nothing is worse than having a flan that just doesn’t knock your socks off. So last weekend when we hosted Ali of Gimme Some Oven, & Cassie of Bake Your Day, Caramel Flan was a must. I wanted to give them a full Cuban/Dominican meal, and from their response I succeeded.

Ali & Cassie were here to join me and other bloggers at the Food Media Conference. It was my first food blog conference, and it was great. As we spent Saturday learning about writing from the wonderful Dianne Jacob, there was Puerco Asado slowly roasting away at home. I could not wait for the moment when we opened the door and the smell of the roasting pork shoulder would take us away. As soon as we pulled up to the house and went to enter the house key, we could smell it. We had about 1 hour left until the pork was ready, giving me plenty of time to make the rice and beans for our feast. Dessert was already made, I had cooked the individual flans the night before.

As the finishing touches were being placed on each dish, I said a little prayer. Actually I said a little prayer all day long. Wanted everything to be just right for our dinner. After all, it was the first time, I cooked for fellow bloggers. Okay, I pray every time I cook…you got me. Mostly it’s begging the stove and cooking Gods not to jinx my cooking. And that day, they were good to me. The pork was, as it always is, perfectly seasoned and falling apart. Fluffy jasmine rice, sat under the sauce of the black beans, which were dancing in the sazon recipe my mother has used for years. Once everyone took a bite and I saw their face gleam, my heart filled with joy.

We were all stuffed after dinner and sat our tushes on the couch. The Olympics provided us with entertainment, and the flan was to be our night cap. This is a night cap I wish we could have every night. The caramel sauce glistened over the cooked custard. With my first bite, the hint of condensed milk made my taste buds happy. I can eat condensed milk out of the can, pump it through an IV….it’s sinfully good.

Saturday was perfect, and so was the rest of the conference. We all meet wonderful people, some who blog, others who are hoping to start, and those who just wanted to learn. Not only did I learn things at the conference, but also from Ali & Cassie. It was a bit overwhelming, at some points at the conference, I felt like my blog needed to be shut down. But I know this is a work in progress, and I’m more than happy to see it develop and to grow with it.

Ingredients

• Custard
• 5 egg yolks- room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 18 ounces condensed milk (1 1/2 cup)
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• Caramel
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of water

Instructions

1. Heat your oven at 350.
2. Prepare your ramekins, by placing them in the baking pan that will hold them and fit about 1 inch of water around each ramekin (flans are cooked in a hot water bath). Heat about 2 cups of water in a pot until it comes to a boil. Set aside (this is for the hot water bath).
3. For the Caramel
4. Place the sugar, and water in a heavy sauce pan. Stir to ensure the sugar is mixed with the water. Heat on low until the sugar turns medium amber in color. It should take about 10 minutes. You do not need to stir it while it heats, and there is no need to brush the sides of the pan with water. Just let the sugar and water melt into a caramel.
5. Once it turns into the medium amber color remove from the heat and pour into the ramekins.
6. Let it cool until it hardens.
7. For the Custard
8. In a large bowl, whisk the yolks, vanilla, evaporated milk, and condensed milk until well combined.
9. You may sieve the custard to remove undissolved egg particles.
10. Gently fill the caramel coated ramekins, about 1/2 way with the custard. Try not to get drippings on the side of the ramekins as they will burn.
11. Now fill the baking pan the ramekins are in with the hot water (should be about a 1 inch bath).
12. You want the ramekins to sit in the bath, do not over fill. The water should not come up to the rim of the ramekins, just 1/2 way.
13. Gently place the baking pan into your oven.
14. Cook for about 1 hour.
15. Check your flans at the 40 minute mark, insert a toothpick into the center of the flans, if it comes out clean they are done.
16. Remove from the baking pan and let them cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge.
17. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes before serving.
18. To Serve
19. Place the chilled flans on your kitchen counter and let the chill out of them. (let them sit on the counter for about 5 minutes.
20. Using a butter knife, gently glide it along the side of the custard. To loosen the flan.
21. Top the ramekin with your serving plate, and flip over.
22. If the flan does not come out easily, hold the ramekin upside down (not too far from the serving plate) and use your butter knife to gently pull the flan out of the ramekin.