Hello Steemians,

The Best Flan You've Ever Tasted!

As a lot of you know, I like to post the occasional recipe/ food blog (whatever the acceptable vernacular is). Every recipe that I post has the added benefit (to whom it may pertain) of being gluten free.

I was actually working as a cook before I became a nurse.

Actually, for a while, I was working as a Home Care Aid that primarily cooked for my clients. I have never had a formal culinary background but I had gained a lot of experience from working with chefs and working my way up from dishwasher status.

Now I’m a nurse but I still enjoy cooking for my family and occasionally myself ;)

Tonight was all about Flan...

And I’m not gonna lie, this one was for me. Flan is actually one of my favorite desserts. Custard based desserts like flan, custard pie, and crème brûlée all kinda hit the spot for me...but Flan takes the cake.

The key to a good flan is making sure you DO NOT curdle the eggs. It should taste like a creamy still pudding not scrambled eggs.

The fact is, even authentic flan cooked by people with Spanish ancestry often have that curdled egg taste. This is just how people have ended up growing accustomed to. Honestly, it’s good no matter what I’m my opinion but a perfect flan is unbeatable.

Flan Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 Eggs

• 1 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

• 1 Can of Evaporated Milk

• 2 tsp to 1 tbs of Real Vanilla Extract

the imitation stuff will work but it lacks the full bodied taste you need for the perfect Flan

1 Hefty Cup of Sugar

See, Only a few ingredients- This is part of what makes it so great!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Set up a large pan of water in the oven as a water bath for the flan to cook. Use a large glass bowl if possible for the flan and then a large pan big enough to hold water and the flan inside of it.

Like this:

Place the large water bath pan in the oven with the water, and let it warm up a bit while your preparing the recipe.

First set all the ingredients out on the counter top- including the eggs. You should let the eggs acclimate to room tempature if you can. It’s good to have everything out and ready to go with this recipe.

I prefer to start with makin the caramel that goes on the bottom.

Get out a baking bowl or cake pan and have it setting next to the stove ready

This is easy. Dump a cup or even a little more of sugar in a pan and put it on the stove top on medium heat.

No corn syrup or water is needed to carmelize the sugar. There is enough natural mositure in the sugar to turn to liquid and melt down

Do not touch the sugar until it heats up and the sides start to melt. Then mix it gently without adding too many air bubbles. It will turn a dark brown color.

Do not let it burn and be patient. It will take a little while for this to melt and caramelize but once it does- It can burn quickly

Once it’s melted and caramelized, quickly pour it into the baking dish

File Feb 05, 22 06 53.gif

Allow to cool

While this is cooling and hardening, beat the 3 eggs in a small bowl as if your making scrambled eggs.

If you can, strain the eggs into another bowl to remove any large chunks.

The will make a more smooth consistent flan

Now add the eggs to a large mixing bowl

Now take the milk products and the vanilla and mix/ fold them into the eggs.

All the remaking ingredients should be combined

File Feb 05, 22 03 26.gif

If the caramel is hardened and cool, pour the entire flan mixture over the caramel

File Feb 05, 22 02 27.gif

Now place the flan mixture in the water bath to cook

Cook for 60-90 min. Middle should still jiggle a bit upon being done cooking. It doesn’t need to be stiff all the way through. It will continue to cook and harden even after taking it out of the oven. This is the key to getting it perfect without curdling the eggs.

After cooking, cool completely..

Then, take a knife and cut all the way around the side of the glass!

Then, carefully dump, upside-down on a plate or wherever you prefer to store the cooked flan