Traditional dessert of The Philippine Islands. In the good old days, it was made with water buffalo milk and duck eggs and formed in a metal mold called a llanera. (Manila cooks now use canned sweetened condensed milk and chicken eggs.) This is one of our most popular recipes – from when we lived in Manila in the 1980’s. One bite takes me back! Using an every-day pie pan makes a beautiful presentation when the flan is inverted onto a serving platter. Use custard cups, or fluted cups, for individual servings.
For the caramel:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Heat oven to 325° and lightly oil 6 small custard dishes or one pie-pan-sized dish with vegetable oil. Stir water and sugar together in a small heavy saucepan and slowly boil until the mixture begins to turn a golden caramel color. This will take more than five minutes, but watch carefully as when the mixture begins to brown, it does so quickly. Remove from heat when it becomes golden. Carefully pour the caramel into the bottom of the oiled pie pan and quickly swirl to coat bottom of pan and a bit up the sides. (If you are making individual flans, spoon and swirl one dish at a time, working quickly.) If you burn the caramel – no biggy – just start over.
Make the custard:
3 large eggs
One 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1½ cups half & half
1 Tablespoon vanilla
Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth. Whisk in the half & half and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the caramel in the dish. Bake in a water bath: Put dish in a larger baking pan and add enough hot tap water so that water reaches about halfway up the side of the custard dish. Bake flan for about 70 minutes (50 minutes for individual custard cups), or until custard is just set. It should still jiggle a bit – but will set as it cools.
Remove from pan and cool on a rack for about 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. The flan may be made up to one day in advance.
To serve, dip dish in a pan of hot water for 15 seconds or so, run a thin knife around edge and invert flan onto a platter or plate. (Serve individual flans on small plates.) The caramel will puddle around the flan for a maganda (beautiful) presentation.
This recipe will make 6 individual or one large flan, serving 6.