To make flan, follow these key steps:
- Make the caramel:
- Heat sugar (with a little water if desired) in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until it melts and turns a golden-brown caramel color.
- Quickly pour the hot caramel into the bottom of your flan pan or cake pan, tilting to coat evenly. The caramel will harden as it cools
- Prepare the custard:
- Whisk together eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk (or whole milk), and vanilla extract until smooth. Avoid over-whisking to prevent air bubbles. Some recipes suggest blending briefly for smoothness
- Assemble and bake:
- Pour the custard mixture over the hardened caramel in the pan.
- Cover the pan with foil and place it in a larger baking dish filled halfway with hot water (water bath).
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 35 to 75 minutes depending on pan size, until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center
- Cool and chill:
- Remove the flan from the water bath and let it cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to fully set and develop flavor
- Serve:
- Run a knife around the edges to loosen.
- Invert onto a plate so the caramel sauce flows over the flan. If it doesn’t release easily, let it sit or gently tap the pan
This results in a creamy custard dessert with a rich caramel topping, popular in many Latin and Spanish cuisines
