Flan is a baked caramel custard dessert primarily made with sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk. However, this recipe creates a new spin of the traditional flan and adds cream cheese to create an even more rich, smooth texture to the already scrumptuous dessert. Flan is far from instant pudding and "just add water." The tasty treat is carefully made in a deep casserole dish or in special flan molds.
Flan is very popular in Latin countries, especially Spain where they perfected the caramelizing sweet taste of the custard. It may take a couple of tries to perfect, since this dessert involves caramelizing sugar, careful pouring and patience. Kids should not attempt without complete adult supervision.
Ingredients
Group A:
- One (1) cup sugar to caramelize pan
Group B:
- One (1) can (13 ounces) evaporated milk, undiluted or condensed milk
- One (1) packages (8 ounce) Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- One (1) cup sugar
- Four (4) eggs
- One (1) teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Caramelize a round 8 x 3-inch aluminum pan without tube or oven-safe casserole dish by melting one cup sugar slowly on low heat in a saucer until it turns a golden brown. Melt sugar by stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula until sugar starts to dissolve.
- Once sugar is completely melted and a golden brown, pour caramelized sugar immediately into the baking pan, swirling the pan to coat bottom and sides with caramel (Soaking the saucer in water will easily takeaway excess caramel without having to scrub). Use oven mitts as the pan is extremely hot from the caramel.
- Blend ingredients in Group B - evaporated milk, cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract - in an electric blender until relatively smooth.
- Pour mixture into the caramelized pan. Set pan inside a large shallow baking pan containing about 1-inch of hot water (add enough hot water in the large pan to come about halfway around the smaller pan). Bake for approx. 1 hour or until set and golden. Remove pan from water bath. Check with a knife if the middle is cooked. If the knife comes out relatively clean, the flan is ready.
- Allow to cool completely on wire rack. Use a knife to loosen flan along the edges onced cooled. Turn-over custard onto a serving platter. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Flan can be served with fruit and/or vanilla ice cream.
NOTE: Blending the ingredients first before caramelizing sugar is a good way to make sure the sugar does not burn.
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