My flan has received hundreds of compliments from self-proclaimed connoisseurs. This version is smooth as white satin with three kinds of milk: sweetened condensed, evaporated, and whole. We sell a lot of these desserts for take-away and as individual servings.
If you can find real Mexican vanilla, use it in this dish for the deepest, most aromatic flavor.
To make this, you’ll need six ½-cup glass custard cups and a rectangular baking pan large enough to hold the cups in a single layer. This is called a water bath. Or a round 8-inch baking dish and another pan large enough to hold the baking dish.
Makes 6 servings
Special Equipment
• Baking dish for flan or six ½-cup glass custard cups
• Larger dish for water bath
1 cup sugar
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2/3 cup whole milk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1¾ teaspoons vanilla extract (Mexican vanilla preferred, see here)
In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar and ¼ cup water. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns deep golden brown, caramel-colored. Set aside off the heat to cool for about 15 minutes. Pour the caramelized sugar into each custard cup to a depth of about ¼ inch, or pour all the caramelized sugar into the bottom of a round baking dish.
Place the cups or baking dish in a rectangular pan, about 1 inch apart. Carefully add enough hot tap water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Set aside.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, eggs, and vanilla. Using a whisk or electric mixer on low speed, blend to combine well.
Carefully fill each custard cup or round baking pan nearly to the top.
Carefully, so as not to slosh water into the custard cups, place the baking pan with the water in the oven. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of a flan comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for at least 1 hour.
Lift the custard cups or baking dish from the water bath. Dry the sides and cover each cup tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours.
To serve, loosen the flan from each cup by running a butter knife around the sides. Place a dessert plate on top of the dish. Carefully, but quickly, invert the dish so that flan slides out and caramelized sugar flows nicely around the flan and onto the plate for a mouthwatering presentation. Serve.
In a small bowl, blend ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon.
In small bowl, blend ½ cup sugar with 1 tablespoon freshly ground Mexican cinnamon.
Mexican cinnamon, or canela, is Ceylon or “real” cinnamon and is different from typical ground cinnamon found in most supermarkets. Typical grocery-store cinnamon is cassia, or Saigon cinnamon. Mexican cinnamon is softer, more like vanilla, while cassia is bolder and spicier, the flavor most North Americans are used to. To use Mexican cinnamon, you usually have to grind it yourself: Place Mexican cinnamon sticks between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a small hammer or mallet, crack the sticks into small pieces before placing in a spice grinder or blender. Process until finely ground. Pass through a fine sieve, such as a tea strainer, to remove larger pieces.