caramel-topped flan

Like a lot of Tuesdays with Dorie members who joined the group late, I plan on eventually making all of the recipes that I missed. Why not? I make those thirteen recipes (down to nine, now), and I will eventually have baked through the entire book. How cool is that?

There were just two recipes that I had no interest in. I already have tried and true recipes for both pound cake and crème caramel, plus Dorie’s versions didn’t get rave reviews across the board. But, Dave requested flan, and he was insistent that it be flan and not crème caramel, never mind that they’re the same thing, and since Dave rarely gets so specific, I indulged him.

This flan wasn’t drastically different than my other recipe. There wasn’t as much caramel, but it seemed like enough. The custard ingredients and methods are very similar, so I’m not clear on why the tops of these flans turned golden, while the crème caramel that I made last year isn’t browned at all.

The two recipes are so similar that I’d be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. They’re both smooth and creamy with a good balance of sweet caramel. It was definitely worth making it to get it marked off the list. I think I might try making the pound cake recipe now. It never hurts to try a new recipe.

One year ago: Marcella Hazan’s Lasagne Bolognese – not my favorite lasagna recipe, but I learned a lot from making it

Caramel-Topped Flan (from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours)

Makes one 8-inch flan, or six 6 servings in 6-ounce ramekins, or 8 servings in 4-ounce ramekins

For the caramel:
⅓ cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
squirt of fresh lemon juice

For the flan:
1½ cups heavy cream
1¼ cups whole milk
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Getting ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Line a roasting pan or 9-by-13 inch baking pan with a double thickness of paper towels. Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil; when the water boils, turn off heat.

Put a metal 8-inch round cake pan – not a nonstick one – in the oven to heat while you prepare the caramel. (If you are using individual molds or ramekins, then skip this step.)

To Make the Caramel:
Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice together in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Put the pan over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar becomes an amber-colored caramel, about 5 minutes-remove the pan from the heat at the first whiff of smoke.

Remove the cake pan from the oven and, working with oven mitts, pour the caramel into the pan and immediately tilt the pan to spread the caramel evenly over the bottom; set the pan aside.

To Make the Flan:
Bring the milk and heavy cream just to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a 2-quart glass measuring cup or in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar. Whisk vigorously for a minute or two, and then stir in the vanilla. Still whisking, drizzle in about one quarter of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they won’t curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the hot cream and milk. Using a large spoon, skim off the bubbles and foam that you worked up.

Put the caramel-lined cake pan in the roasting pan. Pour the custard into the cake pan and slide the setup into the oven. Very carefully pour enough hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. (Don’t worry if this sets the cake pan afloat.) Bake the flan for about 35 minutes, or until the top puffs a bit and is golden here and there. A knife inserted into the center of the flan should come out clean. (Small, individual molds will take less time- start checking for doneness around the 25-minute mark).

Remove the roasting pan from the oven, transfer the cake pan to a cooking rack and run a knife between the flan and the sides of the pan to loosen it. Let the flan cool to room temperature on the rack, then loosely cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

When ready to serve, once more, run a knife between the flan and the pan. Choose a rimmed serving platter, place the platter over the cake pan, quickly flip the platter and pan over and remove the cake pan-the flan will shimmy out and the caramel sauce will coat the custard.

Storing: Covered with plastic wrap in its baking pan, the flan will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. However, once unmolded, its best to enjoy it the same day.

Serving: Bring the flan to the table and cut into wedges. Spoon some of the syrup onto each plate.