Creamy Caramel Flan

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, cook sugar, stirring, until golden.
• Pour into a 10 inch round baking dish, tilting to coat bottom and sides. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.
• Beat in condensed and evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth.
• Pour into caramel coated pan.
• Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel.
• Place baking dish on towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack.
• Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven 50 to 60 minutes, until center is just set.
• Cool one hour on wire rack, then chill in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. To unmold, run a knife around edges of pan and invert on a rimmed serving platter.
• HINT: This came from one of the reviewers - Pouring the sugar syrup into the glass baking dish, and because the glass was cool, the sugar hardened almost immediately. So after spending 30 minutes chipping a rock-hard blob of sugar out of the bottom of the dish, tried it again. But this time, put the baking dish in a hot oven for about 5 minutes before adding the sugar. The hot dish kept the sugar liquified just long enough for to get an even coating.