mexican flan de leche
Flan is a classic Latin American dessert that's almost like baked custard that's flipped over before serving to reveal a caramel glaze. Don't be intimidated, though! The finished dessert only looks difficult to make, but it's actually quite easy.
1 cup white sugar
1 cup whole milk
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the oven heats up, place sugar in a heavy saucepan and,
stirring constantly, cook over medium-high heat until the sugar
melts and turns a golden amber color. (Remove from heat as soon
as the color changes or it may burn.) Carefully pour the melted
sugar syrup into a flan mold and allow to cool.
Combine the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, egg yolks,
orange juice, orange peel, vanilla extract and cornstarch into a
blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the cream and
pulse to incorporate. Pour the mixture over the cooled caramel syrup
in the flan mold.
Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the prepared
flan mold in the roasting pan on top of the towel and place the pan
in the oven. Fill the roasting pan with hot water to the point where
the water level is halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The flan should be firm but still
"jiggle" a little at the center. When it's done, remove the flan
from the oven and let cool. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours
before serving. To serve, run a sharp paring knife around the inside
of the mold to release the flan. Invert a plate on the mold,
carefully flip the mold over and then remove the mold.
