Description
Creamy Spanish flan delights dessert enthusiasts with its silky custard and caramel glaze. Rich eggs, milk, and sugar combine into a classic sweet treat that transports palates directly to traditional Spanish kitchens.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 can (14 oz / 396 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk (300 ml)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Caramel Creation: Melt sugar in a heavy saucepan, carefully watching its transformation to a deep amber without scorching, ensuring a rich, golden liquid develops.
- Caramel Coating: Generously swirl the molten caramel across the bottom of a round baking dish, completely covering the surface and allowing it to cool and solidify.
- Custard Composition: Blend eggs, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and vanilla extract with fluid whisking motions, creating a homogeneous, silky mixture without incorporating excessive air.
- Assembling the Flan: Pour the smooth custard mixture into the caramel-lined pan, maintaining an even consistency and careful distribution.
- Water Bath Preparation: Wrap the flan pan tightly with aluminum foil, then nestle it inside a larger baking dish. Fill the outer container with warm water halfway up the flan pan’s sides, creating a gentle cooking environment.
- Baking Process: Slide the water bath into a preheated oven, allowing the delicate custard to cook slowly and evenly for approximately 75 minutes until set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
- Cooling and Setting: Remove the baking dish from the oven using protective towels. Let the flan rest at room temperature to continue setting, then refrigerate for a minimum of four hours or overnight to develop optimal texture and flavor.
- Serving Presentation: Run a sharp knife around the pan’s edges to loosen the flan. Invert a serving platter over the pan and swiftly flip in one confident motion, allowing the caramel to dramatically cascade over the creamy custard. Slice into elegant portions and serve chilled, embracing the traditional Spanish dessert experience.
Notes
- Prevent Sugar Burning: Watch caramel closely during melting, stirring gently to achieve golden honey color without scorching.
- Create Smooth Custard: Whisk eggs and milks with soft, slow movements to avoid incorporating air bubbles that could disrupt texture.
- Master Water Bath Technique: Fill outer baking dish with warm water halfway up flan pan sides to ensure gentle, even heat distribution during baking.
- Perfect Cooling Process: Refrigerate flan for minimum four hours or overnight to develop rich flavor and achieve luxurious, silky consistency.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Spanish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 29 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg