
Flan is one of the most popular Latin American desserts. Delectably creamy, this Salvadoran treat is served in a bath of sweet caramel sauce. While you can buy variations of flan in many Latin American restaurants, this recipe is so easy to make at home, why wouldn’t you go for the warm, fresh homemade version?
In a small saucepan, combine the following:
water
sugar
Stir to dissolve the sugar and then bring to a boil over high heat. Give the sugar water mixture one more stir and then turn down to medium heat and cook just until the syrup turns a rich honey brown color.
Immediately remove from heat and pour into ramekins or a cake pan, swirling the baking pan(s) to coat the bottom with caramel. (The caramel will cool and harden quickly.)
Place the cake pan or ramekins in a roasting pan and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut a your 4 inch piece of vanilla bean (or more if you really like vanilla). Use a sharp knife to slice open the bean lengthwise down the center. With your blade, scrape the caviar out of the bean and set it aside. Discard the pod or use it in other recipes.
Into a medium bowl, combine the following:
eggs
palm sugar
Beat ingredients with an electric mixer for 2 – 3 minutes, then add the following:
condensed milk
heavy cream
whole milk
vanilla
Continue mixing for 1 more minute, until well blended and smooth. Carefully pour your flan mixture into the cake pan or ramekins.
Fill the roasting pan with water until it reaches 1/2 – 2/3 of the way up the outside of your cake pan or ramekins.
Place the roasting pan with the baking dishes and water in your oven and bake until a knife inserted into the center of your flan comes out clean (about 30 – 45 minutes).
Remove the custard pans from the oven, cover and refrigerate until well chilled (2 hours or longer).
When they are ready to serve, carefully run a knife around the edges of each flan. Flip the flan over onto a serving plate, and hold the pan upside-down, allowing the caramel to run over the tops and down the sides.
Grab a fork and enjoy!
Note: tastes differ when it comes to vanilla. Use more or less, depending on your preferred level of pure vanilla flavor.