How to Make the Filipino Desert Leche Flan

Flan is rich, creamy and full of flavor.

No Filipino dinner party is complete without serving leche flan. Flan is a baked custard dessert with a caramel topping that is very popular in Spanish cuisine. The Filipino version, leche flan, is a little heavier and was originally made with fresh cow's milk. However, since fresh dairy products aren't always available in the Philippines, people now use canned evaporated milk, condensed milk and sometimes even coconut milk.

Things You'll Need

• 10 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can condensed milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 qt. mold or several individuals molds/ramekins

Instructions

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low-medium heat and bring to a boil. Gently stir as the sugar melts and caramelizes into a thick, syrupy consistency.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the caramel into one big mold or evenly distribute among individual molds.

3. Crack and separate the eggs, placing yolks in a large mixing bowl. Add both cans of milk and the vanilla extract. If you'd like to use coconut milk, do so in place of the condensed milk. Mix all the ingredients using a whisk or blender until smooth and well-blended.

4. Pour the custard mixture into your mold right on top of the caramel and cover it with aluminum foil.

5. Pour hot water into a baking pan and set the mold into the water. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Allow it to complete cool in the refrigerator. Then, run a thin knife along the edges of the mold to loosen the custard and place it on a serving dish caramel-side up.

Tips & Warnings

• For a smoother custard, pour the egg mixture into your mold through a sieve.

• Traditionally, leche flan was steamed, so if you want to make a more authentic version, you can steam it instead of baking it.

References

• "The Food of Love: Four Centuries of East-West Cuisine"; Wendy Hutton; 2007