I had a very small gathering at my house on Monday (my husband will take any excuse to grill, expected thunderstorms or no), and this dessert was my contribution: leche flan, which is basically a Filipino creme caramel.
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| Leche flan, unmolded and plated |
Traditional leche flan uses only egg yolks and is steamed—my version uses the whole egg, which results in a lighter texture (only egg yolks is deliciously rich, but not necessary for such a casual get-together) and is baked in a bain marie since since steaming multiple llaneras (the traditional Filipino mold) is rather cumbersome. However, you can steam your mixture if you prefer. Turning on the oven in 90+ degree weather was definitely not fun!
Whichever method you use, this is an easy, delicious dessert welcome at any party.
Leche Flan Recipe
Ingredients:
- 9-10 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 3 teaspoons of water, divided
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment needed:
3 (12 oz) llaneras or similar baking dish
OR
1 quart baking dish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Prepare the caramel:
If using llaneras, add 3 TBSP of sugar and one tsp of water to each mold.
Set the mold on a stovetop burner and cook over medium-low heat until the sugar syrup turns a deep golden brown.
Use tongs and/or oven mitts to tilt the syrup around as it cooks so that it browns evenly and doesn’t burn, and so the caramel evenly coats the bottom.
Set aside.
If using a baking dish, cook the caramel syrup in a separate pan and add to your baking dish, tilting the dish so that the caramel evenly coats the bottom. Set aside.
Prepare the custard:
Add the eggs to a large bowl and lightly whisk so the yolks and whites are combined. Try not to add too much air to the mixture.
Gradually add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract, whisking slowly and continuously until combined.
Pour the mixture through a sieve and into the prepared container(s) (on top of the caramel). Tap the container(s) a few times on the counter to remove air bubbles.
Put the filled llaneras or baking dish in a large dish filled halfway with warm water. Cover with foil (I forgot to do this and it still worked, it just needed to cook longer).
Bake for 30-60 minutes, until a toothpick or thin knife inserted in the middle comes out clean but the center still has a slight jiggle to it (DON’T overcook it or it will be rubbery). There’s a huge range here because it all depends on which baking dish you used, whether you used foil to cover, and how hot your oven runs. Better to check early and often than risk overcooking it.
Remove from the oven and take the containers out of the bain marie. Let cool for one hour, then store in the fridge until serving time.
You can serve straight out of the containers, but if you’d like to plate the leche flan, run a knife around the edges of the dish and swiftly turn the mold over onto your serving plate. Give it a little shake and the leche flan should unmold nicely with the caramel syrup flowing from the top.
Enjoy!
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| Cast of Characters: Evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla extract, eggs, granulated sugar |
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| Add 3 TBSP sugar and 1 tsp water to a llanera and cook on the stovetop over medium-low heat. |
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| Cook the syrup until golden brown, using tongs or oven mitts to move the mold around so the sugar browns evenly and coats the bottom of the dish. |
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| Lightly whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add both milks and the vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined. Try not to add too much air. |
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| Evenly divide the mixture between your baking dishes, sieving if you want it extra smooth (I couldn't find my sieve, which is why you see all those air bubbles). Place in a prepared bain marie. |
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| Bake in a 325 F oven for 30-60 minutes (cover with foil if you have it to speed up the cooking) until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean but there's still a good amount of jiggle in the center. Remove from the oven and bain marie and let cool for an hour. Chill in the fridge until serving time. |
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| You can serve straight out of the dish, or run a knife around the edges and invert onto a serving platter. Enjoy! |
Leche flan is considered the go-to dessert for any Filipino fiyesta/party. What's your go-to dessert for parties? Let me know in the comments!
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