Monday 17 October 2011

CONDENSED MILK LECHE FLAN


Leche flan or creme caramel bridges the gap between all taste borders. It is loved by all people no matter where they are from. No matter how different the food from counries are, there always is a flan of some sort. 

Leche flan evokes a lot of wonderful memories for me. It reminds me of the parties and fiestas in my old hometown. It links to precious fond memories of loved ones who used to make them. Each one has their own way of making it and even if slightly different, all of them taste good. I guess each one's brand of loving is what gives them their unique taste.



This leche flan has more condensed milk than evaporated milk. It is dense and rich and almost tastes like yema (a sweet made with egg yolks). I remember going to a town fiesta once and tasting an exquisite flan that was bordering on caramel in taste. It was made with condensed milk. Unfortunately, in those days, people just describe the dish. There are no recipes. They just know how to do it "by heart". Here is my attempt at guessing that recipe. I have no way of telling whether my guess is correct but it ended up with the texture I'm looking for. Although it looks and stands like the usual flan, it sticks to the spoon when scooped and is creamy in texture. The decadent, rich taste is simply more indulgent than usual.


Ingredients:

1/2 c. sugar  
2 tbsp. water
8 egg yolks
1-397 gm. can of sweetened condensed milk
1-170 gm. (small) can of evaporated milk (1/2 plus 3 tbsps. or 170 mls.)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:

I am not very confident with making caramel but found this method easy and fool proof. 

Put 2 tbsps. of the sugar in a pan and stir on low heat, until the sugar melts. Keep stirring until it begins to caramelize. 

Add a little bit more sugar and stir until it melts again. Repeat until all of the sugar is added. 

While stil stirring, continue to cook until mahogany brown in colour. Stand back and pour the 2 tbsps. of water all at once. It will boil and spit briefly. Stir until the caramel is melted. Pour into your mold and leave to set. 

This mixture makes 1 pint so choose a mold with a 1 pint capacity. 

Mix the rest of the ingredients and strain into the caramel lined mold. 

Cover loosely with foil to prevent the top from browning and bake au baine marie (sit the mold in a bigger pan with water to reach halfway up its side) at 300°F/150°C for 40-50 minutes or until set but still soft. The low baking temperature results to a smooth and creamy texture. 

Cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge. Run a sharp knife along the side of the mold and invert into a serving plate. 


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Leche Flan Cheese Cake
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19 comments:

  1. Delicious looking flan, you are right everyone loves this and there are slight variations :)
    regards Akheela

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  2. This is a favorite at home. Yours looks wonderful!

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  3. Your Leche Flan is so smooth and beautiful! The color of the caramel top is very even too! ;D
    I'm gonna try your easy and fool proof method for the caramel in future and hopefully it'll turn out as smooth. ;P

    PS: How do you make your flan so smooth w/o any bubble holes? I'd tried my best to strain the egg mixture as slowly as I could but it's still very ugly.. ;(

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  4. Stunning dessert!I have never made flan before-so I am glad you have a foolproof recipe for beginners. I am inspired to try to make some flan now. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. I don't like holes in my flan either, Lyn. The gentle cooking temperature results in a smooth and creamy flan.

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  6. This came out gorgeous, yummy.

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  7. wow such an exquisitely made flan. it's my fave dessert. with 8 egg yolks and 1/2 tsp vanilla does it have the eggy taste?

    i liked this recipe so much, am adding it to my recipe organizer!!!

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  8. Ok noted and tks for your little tip. ;)
    Btw, does covering loosely or tightly with foil has to do with creating bubble holes too? And I don't really get it if you're baking it in a water bath or steaming it? Pls pardon my ignorance. ;P

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  9. Hi Lyn. Covering tightly with foil will cause steam to build up and moisten the flan surface. This is baked but it can be steamed, too, but at a low temperature to prevent bubbles. I have added a few extra details on the post.

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  10. I just love leche flan...especially when it's smooth like yours! Totally delightful!

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  11. Thanks so much, Adora! Greatly appreciated all the info and extra details. ;)

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  12. Absolutely stunning! Flan is on my life time list of things to make, but it's intimidating to me. You've broken it down and made it much more approachable. Thanks!

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  13. Adora, this is such a beautiful leche flan! I'm really afraid I might finish the entire plate without any issue. Your caramel sauce is PERFECT color too! Amazing!!!!

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  14. Stunning flan! It has been a while since we last exchanged words. Hope u're well :)

    Luxury Haven

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  15. How smooth your leche flan is. I wish I could make leche flan as perfect as yours. Yumm!

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  16. Flan, to me, is like popovers or cheese balls, food from my past that is comforting, delicious, but not always popular. Love the photos and recipe. Definitly going into my 'Save This Recipe' file!

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