Latin Flan

This recipe has become a favorite for Christmas and special occasion dishes. It is a bit fiddly with the boiling water and baking dishes - in this house we use a roasting dish in a not very large convection oven. But the end result is worth it. I don't bother inverting the thing. We just cut pieces out at the table. Everyone ends up getting enough caramel. It is delightfully rich that you give a large number of people a piece although most will come back for seconds.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon lime juice
• 4  egg yolks
• 1  teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 1⁄4 cups milk
• 1  can sweetened condensed milk
• 4  egg whites, beaten until frothy

Directions

1. In a small heavy bottomed saucepan, stir sugar and lime juice together until well mixed.
2. If the sugar is well coated this will stop the caramel from crystallising while you are making it.
3. With a wooden spoon, stir over medium heat until the sugar melts and turns a dark caramel colour.
4. Pour the hot caramel into an 8 inch fround flat baking dish and telt the dish backwards and forwards quickly so that the caramel coats the bottom evenly.
5. Combine egg yolks, vanilla, milk and condensed milk in a bowl.
6. Stir in the egg white and mix until well blended.
7. Pour into caramel-coated dish.
8. Place dish in a larger baking pan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dish.
9. Bake in a preheated oven[350 deg F] for 45 minutes to an hour, until a knife inserted in the middle of the custard comes out clean.
10. Chill several hours or overnight.
11. To serve, run a knife around the rim of the custard and invert it on a serving plate.
12. Cut in wedges.