Light Vanilla Flan Recipes

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.

VANILLA FLAN

Steps:

• Put 1/2 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until it begins to melt and turns brown around the edges. Pull the melted sugar around the edges toward the center of the un-melted sugar with a heatproof rubber spatula. Continue cooking, pulling the melted sugar, until all the sugar is melted and the caramel is uniformly dark amber (it should smell caramelly but not burnt), 10 to 12 minutes total. (If you still have undissolved lumps of sugar, stir it off heat until melted.) Pour the caramel into 8-by-2-inch deep cake pan in an even layer, 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep. Let the caramel cool; it will crack as it cools and that's ok.
• Bring the cream, milk and vanilla bean to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and steep for 30 minutes.
• Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Put the eggs, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a blender and puree on low speed until smooth and the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.
• Strain the cream mixture into the egg mixture and blend at low speed to combine, discarding any solids. Skim the foam off the top and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Remove any remaining foam from the top and cover the dish tightly with foil.
• Line a roasting pan with a clean kitchen towel; this will keep the baking dish from sliding and it will insulate the flan, preventing it from overcooking. Set the baking dish on a towel and pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the baking dish; the flan should not be floating. Bake the flan until it looks set like gelatin(it will wobble when gently shaken), 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, remove the foil and let cool. Cover the dish with plastic and refrigerate until set and cold, at least 3 hours and up to 24.
• When ready to serve, run a paring knife around the edges of the flan to loosen. Invert it onto a platter. Serve cold. The flan can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Unmold and serve.

THE PERFECT FLAN

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine cream, milk and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream mixture; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in another heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Quickly pour caramel into six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Using oven mitts as aid, immediately tilt each ramekin to coat sides. Set ramekins into 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
• Whisk eggs, egg yolks and 7 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl just until blended. Gradually and gently whisk cream mixture into egg mixture without creating lots of foam. Pour custard through small sieve into prepared ramekins, dividing evenly (mixture will fill ramekins). Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake until centers of flans are gently set, about 40 minutes. Transfer flans to rack and cool. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. Cover and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead.)
• To serve, run small sharp knife around flan to loosen. Turn over onto plate. Shake gently to release flan. Carefully lift off ramekin allowing caramel syrup to run over flan. Repeat with remaining flans and serve.

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN FLAN (FROM SCRATCH)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

VANILLA FLAN

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar begins to melt. Using a pastry brush dipped in cold water, wash down the sides of the pan to eliminate sugar crystals. Cook, without stirring, until amber brown, about 25 minutes., Quickly pour into an ungreased 9-in. round baking pan, tilting to coat bottom of pan. Place pan in a large baking pan; let stand for 10 minutes., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325°. In a blender, combine eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Cover and process 1 minute or until well blended. Slowly pour into prepared baking pan., Add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until center is just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove baking pan from water bath; cool 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate overnight., To serve flan, run a knife around edge of pan; quickly invert onto a rimmed serving dish.

LIGHT CREME CARAMEL- FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook without stirring until golden. Pour into 6 ramekins.
• Whisk eggs, vanilla, sugar and lukewarm milk in a bowl. Pour mixture into ramekins.
• Put ramekins in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 40-50 minutes.
• Cool and chill in refrigerator for about 8 hours.
• Turn out onto individual plates to serve.

LIGHT VANILLA FLAN

Steps:

• Spray six 6-ounce custard cups with cooking spray.
• Set aside.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan; place over medium heat.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and syrup is light golden brown.
• Pour into custard cups; let cool.
• Combine milks in a medium saucepan and heat until bubbles form around edge of pan.
• Combine egg substitute, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and almond extract; beat well.
• Gradually stir about 1 cup hot milk into egg mixture; add to remaining milk, stirring constantly.
• Pour mixture evenly into custard cups; cover with alumninum foil.
• Place custard cups in a shallow pan; pour hot water to a depth of 1 inch into pan.
• Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.
• Remove cups from water, and chill at least 4 hours.
• To serve, loosen edges of custard with a spatula; invert onto plates.

VANILLA FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a small heavy saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, without stirring, until golden caramel. Pour caramel into a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish, tilting dish to coat bottom and some of side with caramel.
• In a large bowl whisk together eggs, condensed milk, skim milk, and vanilla until smooth. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into soufflé dish. Put dish in a baking pan and add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up side of dish. Bake flan in middle of oven 1 1/4 hours, or until just set but still trembles slightly. (Flan will set as it cools.) Remove flan from pan and cool in dish on a rack. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Dip dish in a baking pan of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around edge of dish and invert flan onto plate.