Natalie Morales presents her favorite Flan!
“This is truly one of the easiest desserts I make, but the trick is caramelizing the sugar just right. Don’t be intimidated by using a double boiler or baking using a water bath; it’s beyond simple once you’ve tried it. I’ve “skinnied” this recipe up a bit, using low-fat sweetened condensed milk or low fat evaporated milk–and I honestly can’t tell the difference. Once you’ve mastered the original, you’ll find it’s a forgiving recipe. But the recipe will work using the full-fat version, if you prefer. Try the coconut variation, or for the holidays, try my pumpkin version – or experiment by adding mango puree for a tropical flan, or chocolate for winter flan. You can’t go wrong.” —Natalie Morales
Ingredients6 large eggs
1 12 oz can low-fat evaporated milk
1 14 oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
Step 1In a blender, combine the eggs, evaporated and condensed milks, vanilla. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Step 2Heat water in the bottom part of a double boiler pan (about one quarter of the way full) or in a roasting pan in an oven preheated to 325 F (also one quarter of the way full).
Step 3While the water is heating, pour the sugar into a flan mold. Over a very low flame, caramelize the sugar. This is the hardest part of the recipe because the key is not to let the sugar burn or get too dark. The pan can be directly over the flame. Use a wooden spoon to work the sugar around the pan. Remove from the flame as soon as the sugar starts to turns a light brown.
Step 4Once the sugar reaches a light brown caramel color, it's important to coat the whole pan with it. Tilt the pan and using the wooden spoon coat all of the pan's sides. Now it's ready for the flan mixture.
Step 5Pour the flan mixture into the sugar coated flan mold. Place it in the water in the double boiler pan or in the water-filled roasting pan in the oven.
#MichelesKitchenNotes Natalie says it best! Don’t be intimidated by the double boiler step in this recipe. I plan to make this for my next summer gathering. Stay tuned and let me hear how your flan comes together.
