Orange zest and cinnamon give rich, deep flavor to this Latin American classic that gets a pleasant nudge of bitterness from instant espresso.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 1 hr |
| Cook: | 2 hr 20 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 wide strip orange zest, very thinly sliced
- 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 5 large eggs
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it begins to melt. Cook, swirling the pan but not stirring, until deep amber, about 10 minutes. Stir in the orange zest and cook 30 seconds. Pour into a 9-inch-round cake pan; tilt to coat. Let harden, about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Dissolve the espresso powder in 1 tablespoon warm water in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs. Add the sweetened condensed milk, half-and-half, vanilla, cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon salt; whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the cake pan.
- Loosely cover the cake pan with foil (do not let the foil touch the custard). Line a roasting pan with a kitchen towel and set the cake pan on top. Transfer to the oven and fill the roasting pan with hot water, about halfway up the side of the cake pan. Bake until the flan is set but still wobbly in the center, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 1 hour, 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the water bath, about 1 hour. Remove from the water, cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours.
- Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the flan; let sit 20 minutes. Invert the flan onto a rimmed plate and unmold, letting the caramel drip out. Cut into wedges.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 417 |
| Total Fat | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 51 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 50 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Cholesterol | 170 mg |
| Sodium | 486 mg |
Reviews
This a great recipe. I used ramekins to make individual desserts and adjusted the cooking time accordingly. Also, I did not have huge roasting pan to put in a 9-inch cake pan so using the ramekins or a smaller baking pan works too. I would suggest making the caramel by mixing sugar and water and heating on low flame till you get the desired color and taste (lighter color- less bitter. This makes it easier to handle and pour the caramel. If making in a bigger dish, I would suggest cooking only for 30-40 minutes and letting it cool in the water bath for 30 more minutes. You can also check the flan if it is done by inserting a toothpick…just like for a cake.
I followed the recipe and ended up with a curdled flan, the taste was good, I even added more zest to the sugar which added to the flavor. It unmolded well but I think that the recipe called for cooking it to long and hot, when I did pull it out at 1 hr and 20 minutes it was not fully set but I think in leaving it in the water bath it over cooked. The recipe also does not say if the foil should be removed or not after it is taken out of the oven. I would try this again but would adjust the cooking and cooling temps and technique.