Flan De Nuez Walnut Custard Recipes

AUTHENTIC SPANISH FLAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
• Start by preparing the ramekins (you could also use one larger mold if you prefer): put six of them (3/4 cup volume) on a 13-inch baking dish. Fill the dish with hot water (use a kettle or the hottest water from the tap). The warmth is important here, since it will keep the ramekin warm when the sugar syrup goes in and stop it from hardening.
• Cook 1 cup of the sugar over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until it liquefies and turns a light golden brown color. You'll need to keep a watchful eye on the sugar here, to stop it from burning.
• Take it off the heat and quickly pour it into the ramekins. If it starts to harden midway through, put it back on the heat and stir until it's smooth again. Set aside while you make the rest of the flan.
• In a large mixing bowl, gently mix together the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until creamy.
• Add the milk and vanilla and stir until well-combined.
• Divide the flan mixture evenly among the six ramekins, pouring right on top of the caramel. Cover each ramekin with aluminum foil and tightly seal. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes to one hour, or until it wobbles and jiggles when you lightly shake the ramekin. If making small ramekins you will likely only need 40 minutes. If making a large mold you may need the full hour. Quickly check and jiggle when unsure.
• Take the ramekins out of the water-filled baking dish and set aside to cool to room temperature. Then place in the fridge covered with foil and chill for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).
• To serve, take a butter knife and run it around the inside of the ramekin. Quickly (and gently!) flip the ramekin over the plate. The caramel should run out to coat it as a sauce. If any of the caramel has hardened and stuck to the ramekin, just leave it!

FLAN PATISSIER (FRENCH CUSTARD PIE)

Steps:

• For the pastry, combine flour, butter, potato starch, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until it has the consistency of sand.
• Combine milk and egg yolk in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture and mix by hand until the mixture is evenly moistened. Do not overwork the pastry. Wrap pastry dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
• For the filling, combine milk, 1/2 of the sugar and split and scraped vanilla bean in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat once milk boils.
• While the milk is heating, whisk eggs and remaining sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in cream and cornstarch, and whisk until well blended.
• Whisk egg mixture into the cooled milk, stirring constantly.
• Return everything back into the saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent eggs from setting. As soon as custard begins to thicken, remove from heat and whisk constantly for a few minutes while it cools.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Remove pastry from the refrigerator. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Line a springform pan and sides with the pastry and pierce several times with a fork. Store in the refrigerator until filling is cooled down enough.
• Briefly beat cooled pastry cream with an electric mixer to smooth it out. Pour into the pastry shell and even out the surface with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Increase temperature to 470 degrees F (240 degrees C) for an additional 10 minutes to brown the surface, making sure the custard does not burn. To speed up browning the top you can also place on a rack closer to the top.
• Remove pie from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate cooled custard pie for 4 hours before serving.
• To unmold, run the blade of a knife along the inside of the mold, to loosen the flan. Then carefully remove the ring off from the springform pan.

MAPLE FLAN IN A WALNUT CRUST

Steps:

• 1. To prepare the flan, place the maple syrup in a large, heavy saucepan. Set it over low heat and let simmer until the syrup is reduced by a quarter (to 3/4 cup), 15 to 20 minutes.
• 2. Add the cream to the syrup and stir until mixture is smooth and comes back to a simmer.
• 3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add a little of the hot maple cream into the eggs to warm them, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from curdling. Pour the mixture into the saucepan, whisking the cream constantly. Strain the mixture into a bowl, stir in the salt, and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
• 4. Preheat oven to 300°F. Place 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the sugar and corn syrup. Raise the heat to high and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture becomes a dark amber caramel, 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately pour the caramel into an 8-inch round nonstick cake pan, tilting to make sure the sides are well coated. Work quickly so the caramel doesn't harden. If it does, rewarm it over low heat.
• 5. Pour the maple custard into the caramel-coated cake pan. Place it in a baking pan and carefully move it to the oven rack. Pour enough very hot water into the baking pan to reach two thirds of the way up the side of the cake pan. Cover the baking pan with foil and prick all over with a fork. Bake the flan for about 1 hour, then lift off a corner of the foil to vent the steam. Re-cover the pan and continue to bake until the flan is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 45 minutes longer. Remove the flan from the baking pan and transfer to a rack. Let cool at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
• 6. To prepare the walnut crust, preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven, stirring once or twice, until they smell nutty, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
• 7. Using a food processor, pulse the walnuts until they are finely ground, then reserve. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, walnuts, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Mix until the dough just holds together. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a disk. Wrap it and chill for at least 1 hour, until firm.
• 8. Preheat oven to 325°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick into a 12-inch round. Fit the dough into a 9-inch quiche pan. Trim away any excess dough, then use a fork to prick the crust all over. Bake the tart crust until it's pale golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. (The tart shell can be made 8 hours ahead and kept at room temperature or frozen.)
• 9. To unmold the flan, run a small knife around the sides of the cake pan, then invert the flan into the baked tart shell. Serve with whipped crème fraîche, if desired.
• Variation
• For individual flans without crust, divide the caramel and then the maple custard evenly among eight 4-ounce glass or ceramic ramekins. Bake as directed for 1 hour and 30 minutes, venting the steam after 45 minutes.

CLASSIC FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a small bowl of cold water and a pastry brush near the stove top. Place a 9-inch cake pan in a large roasting pan. Bring a large kettle or pot of water to a boil.
• Make the caramel: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, mix sugar and 3 tablespoons water, stirring to combine. Do not stir again. Cook, washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, or cover with a tight-fitting lid, to prevent crystals from forming, until caramel is amber, about 8 minutes, swirling pan to color evenly. Pour into cake pan, swirling to coat bottom evenly.
• Make the custard: In a small saucepan, heat milk with 1/2 cup sugar over medium just until mixture starts to steam and bubble around the edges, 5 to 6 minutes (do not let it boil).
• Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add ladle of hot milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. (This is called tempering, and it prevents the eggs from curdling.) Add two more ladles of milk mixture, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Gradually whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup or a bowl (to remove any cooked bits of egg). Stir in vanilla.
• Pour custard into cake pan. Place roasting pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to pan to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until custard is just set (it should tremble slightly in center when shaken), about 50 minutes.
• Remove roasting pan from oven. Use tongs to carefully remove pan from hot-water bath and place on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours (or up to 3 days). To unmold, run a sharp knife around the flan, and place a rimmed serving plate upside down over the top. Invert, and gently lift pan to remove. Serve immediately.

SPANISH FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a 9 inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely.
• To serve, carefully invert on serving plate with edges when completely cool.

BLACK WALNUT CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Beat eggs in a bowl, set aside.
• In saucepan, add sugar, cornstarch and salt.
• Mix to blend.
• Then add water and molasses. Use a spatula to get all of the molasses.
• Cook and stir until simmering. Take off burner. Add 2 tblsp molasses mixture to beaten eggs, stir.
• Then add beaten egg mixture into the saucepan.
• Add vanilla and nutmeg. Stir and set aside.
• Preheat oven 350* Place dry beans in the pie shell after it is in the pie pan so it will not puff up.Bake the pie shell for about 6 minutes. Take the beans out.
• Pour in the custard sauce and top with the nuts. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes until a knife is inserted near the middle of the pie comes out clean.
• Chill before serving.
• Chill mixing bowl and slowly add sugar to whipping cream and beat with mixer until peaks form.
• Serve pie with whipped cream.
• Serves 8.

FLAN DE NUEZ (WALNUT CUSTARD)

Steps:

• Caramelize ("burn") sugar in a frying pan until dark brown.
• Quickly cover bottom and sides of a pyrex dish with this caramel sauce before it hardens.
• In blender, whir the eggs, both milks, and the walnuts.
• Bake in medium heat in regular or dutch oven using double boiler (steaming) method, for about an hour.