Ruth loves the smooth, creamy texture of this Mexican flan.
Growing up, I came to expect a sweet end to a great meal. My mom was an excellent cook, and desserts were her specialty. We had freshly made pies or cakes all the time. Chocolate meringue and coconut meringue pies were her signature desserts. To this day, I have never met anyone who could duplicate her recipes—the meringue had heavenly little beads of caramelized sugar. My mom also made a delicious chocolate cake with chocolate icing.
MAKES 1 (9-INCH) FLAN
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES, PLUS 2 TO 3 HOURS TO CHILL
COOKING TIME: 1½ HOURS
¾ cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons Tia Maria (or Kahlúa)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1½ cups whole milk
¾ cup half-and-half
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
Assorted berries or whipped cream, for garnish
1 Preheat the oven to 275°F.
2 Heat the sugar in a medium sauté pan over medium heat until the sugar melts into a syrup-like consistency. Immediately pour the caramelized sugar into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.
3 Whisk together the egg yolks, Tia Maria, and vanilla in a small bowl. Gradually add the whole milk, half-and-half, and condensed milk and mix well.
4 Pour the mixture over the caramelized sugar in the pie pan.
5 Set the pie pan in a shallow baking pan and pour hot water one-quarter of the way up the side of the pie pan—this is for double-steaming and setting the base of the flan.
6 Bake the flan, uncovered, in the water bath until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 90 minutes.
7 Remove the flan from the water bath and let it cool to room temperature. Chill the flan in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours.
8 When ready to serve, dip the pie pan quickly in hot water, then invert the flan onto a serving dish. Cut the flan into wedges and garnish.