Martas Quesillo With Coconut Recipes

COCONUT FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until melted and golden brown; Pour into 8-inch pan. Working quickly, swirl melted sugar around the bottom and sides of the round pan to coat.
• Combine coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla in a blender. Pour the mixture into the pan.
• Prepare a water bath by placing the round cake pan in a 13×9 baking pan. Fill the outer dish with hot water to 1/2 inch depth.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until a table knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Then, place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
• To unmold, place the bottom of the pan on warm water for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan. Invert a serving plate over the round pan, hold tightly and quickly turn over. Gently, shake the mold to release.
• Top with coconut flakes for garnish. Refrigerate until serving time.

CARAMEL COCONUT FLAN: QUESILLO

Steps:

• Make the Caramelo: In a small heavy saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, without stirring, until golden caramel. Immediately pour the some of the caramel into each tuna can, tilting them to coat the bottom and sides. Let caramel cool.
• (Drizzle any remaining caramel onto a sheet of parchment or waxed paper in decorative squiggles. Let the squiggles harden and use them as a garnish for the flan.)
• Make the flan: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together condensed milk, coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Divide the mixture among the tuna cans.
• Place the tuna cans in a shallow baking dish and place on the middle rack in the oven. Pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the cans. Bake the flan until just set, but still wiggly in the center, about 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer the flan to a rack and let cool. Chill the flan in the refrigerator. (The flan can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.)
• When ready to serve, dip the cans in a saucepan of hot water. Using a finger, gently press down the edges of the flan, until the caramel runs up the side, which indicates that it's loosened. Invert each flan onto a plate. Break the caramel squiggles into pieces and insert them into the top of each flan.

QUESILLO (VENEZUELAN FLAN)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Prepare a bain-marie, or water bath, by filling a 9-inch heat-proof container with water.
• Melt sugar in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until melted, 7 to 10 minutes; be careful to keep it from burning. Pour sugar into a flan mold, coating the sides to ensure that the egg/milk mixture in the next step will not touch the container.
• Pour sweetened condensed milk into a bowl. Fill the empty can with milk and add to the bowl; stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Blend well. Fold mixture with a spatula or tap against the counter to remove air bubbles.
• Pour milk mixture into the slightly cooled flan mold. Put the lid on and place inside the water bath; don't let the water go over the rim.
• Bake the quesillo in the bain-marie in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Pry lid open with a knife carefully; continue baking until set, about 15 minutes more.
• Let quesillo cool to room temperature, at least 25 minutes; refrigerate 8 hours to overnight. Slide a knife around the edges of the mold to loosen and invert onto a plate.

COCONUT FLAN

Steps:

• Make caramel:
• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber.
• Immediately pour into ramekins and swirl so caramel coats bottom of each, then put ramekins in a large roasting pan.
• Make flan:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Blend 2 cups milk with remaining flan ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, then divide among ramekins.
• Bake flan in a water bath until just set but still wobbly in center, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
• Remove ramekins from water bath and cool slightly on a rack, at least 15 minutes (flan will continue to set as it cools).
• Just before serving, run a thin knife around each flan, then invert onto plates.

MARTA'S QUESILLO WITH COCONUT

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make the caramel. Boil the cinnamon sticks in water for 5-10 minutes to make a nice aromatic infusion. Add the butter and sugar, stirring well with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the color changes to golden brown. When the caramel begins to bubble and thickens, pour it into a 13x 9 glass baking dish, covering the entire bottom of the pan.
• 2. Discard the cinnamon sticks and layer the shredded coconut over caramel. Set aside.
• 3. Put the condensed milk, coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla in a blender and blend on high 2-3 minutes until foamy. Pour over the prepared caramel and coconut in the baking dish and bake between 30 - 40 minutes depending on the depth of the dish. Bake until golden brown and it looks like a cake.
• 4. Test for doneness with a toothpick. If it doesn't stick to the toothpick, it's done. Let it cool and refrigerate. Serve with fruit on the side such as berries, peaches in syrup, mandarin oranges, or figs. Garnish with mint leaves and pomegranate seeds if available.