Mexican Flan (Baked caramel Custard)

"This is a traditional Mexican and Spanish dessert and by far my favorite. It is very easy to make and looks beautiful."
 
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photo by A Marsteller photo by A Marsteller
photo by A Marsteller
photo by Tasbita R. photo by Tasbita R.
photo by Bonnie G #2 photo by Bonnie G #2
photo by Bonnie G #2 photo by Bonnie G #2
photo by A Marsteller photo by A Marsteller
Ready In:
3hrs 45mins
Ingredients:
7
Serves:
10
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ingredients

  • 12 cup sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 cups milk
  • 12 cup sugar
  • 1 12 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon orange rind, grated
  • sliced fruit (Strawberries, Kiwi or other fruit)
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directions

  • Heat 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy skillet or saucepan, stirring constantly until it melts and turns a dark golden color.
  • Remove from heat and immediately pour into a 4 1/2 cup metal ring mold, swish it around so it evenly coats the bottom of the ring mold.
  • In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
  • Stir in milk,1/2 cup sugar, vanilla and orange peel.
  • Place caramel coated ring mold in another pan and place on an oven rack.
  • Pour egg mixture into the ring mold and pour the hottest tap water possible around the ring mold to a depth of 1 inch.
  • Bake at 325Ffor close to l hour or until a knife comes out clean.
  • Cool flan on a wire rack, Chill for at least 3 1/2 hours.
  • To unmold the flan loosen edges with a spatula, slip spatula down the sides to let air in.
  • Place the serving platter over the mold and flip to allow the flan to slip onto the platter.
  • Spoon the caramel that may remain in the mold on top of the flan.
  • Pile sliced fruit in the center and serve.

Questions & Replies

  1. I i REALLY like when the flan has air bubbles in it, rather than a solid consistency. How do you get the air bubbles into it? Is it that you have to whip the filling really good to whip air into it before baking??
     
  2. I used a 9 inch pie plate but after baking for 1 hour it was still VERY loose. Literally when I poked it with a knife, it was still liquid under the top layer. Did I do something wrong is it just taking a lot longer to bake because I didn’t use the ring pan?
     
  3. Doesn't flan have rum in the caramel?
     
  4. I don't have a ring mold. Is there something I can use instead?
     
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Reviews

  1. I baked this while my little boy was watching tv .It took me only 10 minutes and the result was very satisfying .The dessert was very light and refreshing .The only thing I shouldn't have done was cut down on sugar in the custard (I always find American desserts too sweet for my taste )Next time I will put the stated amount .Thanks for the recipe .Its a keeper
     
  2. This is absolutely delicious! I dont have a 'ring mold' (dont even know what it is actually..lol) so I used a pie dish that i have and set it in a larger dish in the oven, worked fine and had no problem getting it out of the dish. Loved the syrup and the orange rind gave it a lovely flavour. Thanks for posting Bergy! =)
     
  3. I made this for dessert for Cinco de Mayo Recipezaar Day. It was the perfect ending to a day of heavy eating! Light, sweet, and melting in your mouth! Served it with fresh strawberries, but the flan really didn't need it, it is perfect all by itself. Thanks Bergy! :o)
     
  4. DH's work was having "Mexican Night" at work where other co-workers already signed up to bring taco dips, enchaladas, tacos and rice and beans; so I knew the dessert had to come from me. On short notice, I was able to whip this up having all ingredients on hand, as I should. I wasn't able to get my hands on fresh fruit to in time slice for a garnish, unfortunatly. I probably would've done strawberries or papya and mango. I searched Zaar for "Mexican Desserts" and this recipe was the easiest to prepare and had all ingredients on hand; staples. Thanks, Bergy!
     
  5. i will admit i originally made this recipe to go along with other mexican dishes because it was fairly easy to prepare, with very little ingrediants. it's not a dessert i would typically prepare, i ended up really enjoying it, as did our other guests. great dessert!
     
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Tweaks

  1. I couldn't remember the egg to milk ratio since my Mom was visiting my family in Spain again, so it was awesome to find your recipe that is almost exactly how I make it! I use lemon zest instead of orange, and a can of sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar for the flan. Thank you very much, My wife is happy,(She was craving it.)
     
  2. First off, let me say I adore custard. This is an excellent one! It's not too sweet or too rich. I used a scant 1/4 tsp. orange oil instead of rind, as I didn't have any oranges. I think that is actually an improvement, as the oil did not add any texture, and this texture is like silk with both the custard and caramel. I used 2% milk, and that worked fine. It would probably be a bit better with whole milk, however. I used ramekins instead of one large bowl and didn't have enough caramel. It cooled off so very fast, I couldn't get it poured into all the ramekins before I ran out. I suggest doubling the caramel if you want to use individual dishes. The orange flavor is really optional, but it does add a nice touch to this traditional and excellent recipe.
     
  3. I couldn't believe how well this turned out!! I, like the others, have no idea what a metal ring mold is, so I just used 2 pyrex dishes and that worked great. Also, I used 1 tsp of lemon extract in place of the orange rind (just didn't have any on hand), and that also worked great. Thanks a bunch!!
     
  4. I made this dish last night for a family gather. It was fantastic! I used brown sugar for the caramel instead. In the beginning, I thought the sugar might be insufficient but it's okay, not too sweet. The texture is just right. Those who have tried, liked it very much. I for one am head over heels in love with it! Will make again tonight. I'm already overweight but I'm craving for it right now and will start baking once I reached home from work.
     
  5. My family has used this recipe for ages, it is a great favourite, but with a piece of lemon rind instead of the greated orange rind.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

On January 10 2010 I will celebrate 9 years of Life with Zaar. I can't imagine being without it! It has become part of my daily routine. I feel very privileged to be one of the hosts on the Photo Forum. Taking photos of my culinary efforts is a full time hobby and I love it. My friends all know what to expect when they come to dinner "Are you finished taking pictures?" or "Did you get a photo of so & so?" I never let them wait too long and the food is NEVER cold! I now have over 6000 photos on Zaar - some fairly good and some definitely not so good. I am happy to say that practice does help. My roots are in Vancouver BC Canada - a very beautiful city that holds many wonderful memories for me. In 1990, I decided that for my retirement years I may want to settle in a smaller community and found a slice of heaven in the North Okanagan B.C. I love living here but every once in a while I miss the bright city lights, the Broadway shows and some of the small wonderful ethnic restaurants that Vancouver abounds in. That is easily resolved. I just take a trip to the coast, visit with friends for a weekend see a show and feast on Dim Sum or other specialty foods. I am getting a bit long in the tooth but was a very adventurous person. I have river rafted Hell's Gate on the Fraser river, been up in a glider over Hawaii (no not a Hang Glider!), gone hot air ballooning in the Napa Valley & the Fraser Valley, driven dune buggies on the dunes in Oregon, Para sailing in Mexico and tried many other adventurous, challenging, fun things. I have yet to try bungee jumping or sky diving. I may do them yet. I love to travel and experience other cultures. Mexco has been a favorite haunt. I have visited that lovely country many many times. Australia is another favorite as is England! In the past 16 months I have taken off 61 pounds and feel wonderful. I am off all medications and all systems are GO! In years I may be 79 but in spirit I am still in my forties. We are only as old as we allow ourselves to feel. Always think positive. Do something a bit challenging every day & always do something silly every day. Be a kid again! Laugh every day - it is internal jogging. Here are a few of my photos <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowNetworking="all" allowFullscreen="true" src="http://w615.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w615.photobucket.com/albums/tt233/Bergylicious/ABM slideshow/d95d7a18.pbw" height="360" width="480">
 
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