Emilie Meyer
Flan, also known as crème caramel, is a custard dessert with a thin layer of caramel. The caramel is created by heating sugar, either solo or mixed with water, until it turns into a liquid with a changed colour and flavour. The process of caramelization can be daunting, especially when working with hot sugar, but it is quite simple once you get the hang of it. The darker the caramel, the more complex the flan will taste. The caramel is then poured into a flan pan, coating the bottom and sides. The custard is then poured on top and baked in the oven.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Oven temperature | 325°F (160°C) or 350°F |
| Baking time | 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or 40 to 45 minutes |
| Caramelization temperature | Medium heat |
| Caramelization time | 3 minutes or until golden brown |
| Caramelization color | Golden amber |
| Custard ingredients | Eggs, yolks, salt, vanilla, milk, cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk |
| Custard preparation | Combine in a blender |
| Custard consistency | Silky, smooth, creamy |
| Baking pan | 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan, 9-inch pie plate, 2-quart soufflé dish, 3-quart saucepan, or 6 3-inch ramekins |
| Water bath | Yes, in a roasting pan or larger baking pan |
| Chilling time | At least 4 hours or overnight |
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What You'll Learn
How to make the caramel sauce
Making caramel sauce for a flan can be tricky, but the process is mostly the same across recipes. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a caramel sauce for your flan:
First, preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Next, prepare your caramel sauce mixture. In a saucepan or saucier, add sugar and a small amount of water. The amount of sugar varies across recipes, with one recipe calling for 3/4 cup (5 1/2 ounces; 150g) of sugar, while another suggests 1 cup of sugar. Cover the saucepan with a lid and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. This should take about 3 minutes.
Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the lid and continue cooking the sugar until it caramelizes and reaches your desired shade of golden brown. Be careful not to overcook the caramel, as it can burn and turn sour. The darker the caramel, the more complex the flavour of your flan will be, adding toasty notes beyond just sweetness. However, caramel that is too dark can become bitter and overpower the flan.
Once your caramel has reached the desired colour, carefully pour the hot caramel into your flan dish, swirling it around to coat the bottom and, if desired, the sides of the dish. As the caramel cools, it will harden, so it is important to work quickly at this stage. If you are working with a large dish, you may need to reheat the caramel if it thickens before you are finished coating the dish.
Now that your caramel sauce is prepared, you can move on to making the custard layer of your flan.
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Preparing the custard mixture
Gather the Ingredients:
Firstly, you will need eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk. For a richer flavour, you can use a combination of evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. If you prefer a more traditional approach, you can use whole eggs, or you can follow the Mexican style and use just the yolks.
Mix the Ingredients:
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until the eggs are well beaten and the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the milk gradually while continuing to whisk. You can also use a blender to combine the ingredients, but be careful not to over-blend, as this can introduce too many air bubbles.
Strain the Mixture:
To ensure a silky-smooth custard, strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any small lumps or pieces of egg that did not get fully incorporated. This step is crucial for achieving the desired texture.
Adjust the Temperature:
Before adding the custard mixture to the caramel-coated pan, let the caramel cool off. As the caramel cools, it will harden, so work efficiently. If you're using a large pan, cover the bottom and sides with the caramel. If the caramel thickens before you're done, reheat it gently.
Pour the Custard:
Carefully pour the custard mixture into the caramel-lined pan or individual ramekins. Distribute it evenly, filling the containers just under the brim. Be mindful that the caramel-coated dishes will now be very hot, so handle them with care.
Create a Water Bath:
Place the custard-filled dishes in a larger baking pan. Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan, creating a water bath that reaches about halfway up the sides of the custard dishes. This water bath is essential for even cooking and achieving the characteristic silky texture of flan.
Now that your custard mixture is prepared and in its baking setup, you can move on to the next steps of baking and serving your caramel flan!
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Combining the custard and caramel
Firstly, prepare the caramel by pouring the sugar into a warm skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Continuously stir the sugar until it melts, turns golden brown, and forms a beautiful golden-brown caramel. Be cautious, as the sugar can scorch quickly and cause severe burns. Once the caramel is ready, carefully pour it into your chosen pan—a flanera, cake pan, or a pie plate—and quickly twist and tilt the pan to evenly coat the bottom and, if desired, the sides. It is important to work swiftly as the caramel will start to harden within seconds of hitting the pan. If it hardens too quickly, you can carefully reheat the pan on a stove or skillet to loosen the caramel.
While the caramel sets, prepare the custard mixture. In a blender, whisk or blend the eggs, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk or evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. You may also add other ingredients like salt, heavy cream, or sugar, depending on your preference. Blend until the mixture is smooth and well-incorporated, but be careful not to over-blend or over-whisk, as this can introduce too many air bubbles, leading to a foamy mixture and a curdled flan. If you do end up with a bubbly mixture, you can use a kitchen torch to burn off the bubbles.
Once the custard mixture is ready and the caramel has hardened, it's time to combine the two. Carefully pour the custard mixture into the caramel-lined pan, ensuring an even distribution. Cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil or plastic wrap, or use the lid if your pan has one. This covering will prevent the custard from curdling and overcooking during the baking process.
Now, you're ready to bake your flan! Place the pan in a large baking dish and fill it with water to create a water bath, also known as a bain-marie. This water bath is crucial for achieving a creamy and wobbly flan, as it provides an even and steady temperature for the flan to cook slowly and evenly. The water should reach about halfway up the flan pan, or about 2 inches deep.
In summary, combining the custard and caramel involves quickly coating the pan with caramel, preparing a smooth custard mixture, and carefully pouring the custard into the caramel-lined pan. The pan is then covered and placed in a water bath, ready for baking. With careful execution and a bit of patience, you'll be well on your way to enjoying a delicious flan with a perfect combination of custard and caramel.
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Baking the flan
Flan is a creamy custard dessert topped with caramel that's popular in Mexico, Spain, and Latin America. The custard is baked in a water bath, which creates steam in the oven, gently and evenly cooking the flan and ensuring that the eggs don't overcook, curdle, or scramble.
To bake the flan, first prepare the caramel by dissolving sugar in water in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue heating without stirring until the mixture turns golden. Gently swirl the pan and cook until the sugar becomes a honey colour. Remove from the heat and swirl the pan until the sugar turns reddish-amber and fragrant. Carefully pour the hot caramel into an oven-safe baking dish, tilting the dish to coat the bottom evenly. The caramel will harden in the dish.
Next, make the custard mixture by blending together eggs, egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Pour the custard mixture into the caramel-coated dish. Cover the top of the dish with a lid or tightly with aluminium foil or plastic wrap. Placing plastic wrap under the foil allows you to see the flan while it bakes.
Place the flan dish in a large baking dish and pour in enough water to reach about halfway up the flan dish. Carefully place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350°F (175°C). The flan is done when it is set but still slightly jiggly in the centre. Remove the flan dish from the water bath and let it cool to room temperature. Then, chill the flan in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, loosen the flan by running a knife along the edges of the dish. Place a plate over the dish and quickly flip it over so that the flan is upside down, revealing the caramel on top. The flan is now ready to be sliced and served.
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Serving and storing the flan
Once the flan has cooled to room temperature, it should be placed in the refrigerator to chill for at least four hours or overnight. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. To release the flan from its dish, run a knife around the inside edge of the pan before inverting it onto a plate. You may need to lightly bang the top of the pan to loosen the flan.
If you are storing the flan for later, you can keep it in its original baking dish and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. When you are ready to serve, fill the sink with hot water and dip the bottom of the baking container in it to melt the caramel. This will help you unmold the flan. You can use a rubber spatula to scrape out any remaining caramel from the dish.
Flan can be served in sturdy wedges, or you can dig right in with a spoon.
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Frequently asked questions
The first step is to add sugar to a saucepan or saucier and cover it with a lid.
Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the lid and cook the sugar until it caramelizes and reaches your preferred shade of golden.
If your caramel ends up too dark, let the pan soak in hot water, then try again.
The caramel sticks easily to a flute pan or a basic tin pan, and it looks beautiful when you turn it out when cool. You don't want a non-stick surface because the caramel that sticks well to your pan will be the best non-stick surface for your flan.
