Moros con Cristianos

I’ll share with you the Flan recipe.  The ingredients for the Flan:

• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 8 eggs
• 1 8oz bar of Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of sugar

Start the oven at 35o Farenheit, and put in the pan with the water in which you will cook the flan.  Yes, it has to be a baño de María. While the oven and the water preheat, blend the eggs, condensed milk and evaporated milk.  Someone asked the other day about the difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk.  I like to kid around and say that evaporated milk is the fat that they took out of the condensed milk.

Evaporated and Condensed Milk

In reality, evaporated milk has a creamy taste and liquid texture.  Condensed milk is thick and sweet – think dulce de leche.  In any case, their cans are different too!

I usually soften the cream cheese by putting it on top of the range.  The heat from the oven softens it up nicely.  Then add the cheese and blend together.  You will see crumbles of cheese; that is normal.

Flan Mixture

Now to the caramelo part.  For this make sure you have at least 30 minutes to stand over the stove.  You have to make sure you don’t burn the caramelo otherwise, the flan is ruined.  Over very low heat, stir and melt the two cups of sugar until they have an amber/honey color and all the sugar is melted.  Then pour onto your Pyrex, and spread around the mold like this:

Wait a couple of minutes for the caramelo to cool; otherwise it will blend with the flan.  Once cooled pour the flan in and put in the baño de María you have going in the oven (haven’t you always wondered why it is called a baño de María?).  Depending on how deep your pyrex is, it will take anywhere from 55 minutes to an hour and fifteen.  You will know when its done with the cake test: insert a knife in the middle (deeper) part of the flan, if it comes out clean it is done.

Take the flan out and let it cool; then place in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours (even better if you can leave all day or overnight).  With a silicone spatula or a flat knife, loosen the flan from the edge of the pyrex.  I grab the knife and go all the way around; then to make sure I swish it around.  Grab a dish that is big enough to hold all the caramelo, put it on top of the pyrex and flip.  It will take some work, but eventually it will come off.  It is best if you let it soak in the caramelo for another 4-6 hours, or even better overnight.

Now forgive me, but I totally forgot to take a picture of the flan before we cut into it, so imagine the missing half when I tell you this is what it should look like!!!!!

Just make sure when you serve, you add enough of that caramelo to go with it!

ENJOY!!!