Custard dishes make my heart sing. They are my number one irresistible dessert. Cookies, meh. Cake, pffft. Custard, YEEEEES pretty pretty PLEASE!!! Thank the sweet universe for the likes of creme brûlée and flan! This recipe has a “choose your own adventure” bend to it. The dulce de leche portion of this is an option, a wonderful, life-altering option, but not required. If you’re looking for less effort or time simply use the condensed milk as-is for a classic wonderful flan. For something with a little extra va-va-voom try the dulce de leche option. It’s pretty ridiculous!
I dig this kind of recipe because it’s a make ahead number that is simply a dump and serve situation for a dinner party. Personally, I really like my friends and want to spend time with the people I invite over. I’m not looking to be a kitchen martyr with a need to impress. Time to drink, eat and be part of the festivities instead of being banished to the kitchen!
Eatyourheartout!!!!
- 1 cup and ¼ cup sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1- 14 ounces can sweetened condensed milk (ps: it's a good idea to make the dulce de leche ahead of time)
- 24 ounces whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon ground vanilla bean or seeds of one vanilla bean
- 1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened at room temperature (makes a FANTASTIC silky texture)
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Dump sweetened condensed milk into glass pyrex or mason jar. Cover with aluminum foil and place into a larger casserole dish. Fill large dish with water until it reaches about ¾ of the way up the pyrex to make a water bath. Bake for 60 minutes or more, checking the water level every 30 minutes to add more as needed, until the dulce de leche takes on a rich caramel color. Remove from oven and whisk smooth. Let cool.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Heat 1 cup of sugar in a pan over medium heat. Swirling as it melts, until the color brown to a caramel shade. Remove for stove and evenly distribute caramel into 6-8 individual ramekins.
- Gently blend together eggs, then whisk in milk, dulce de leche/sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Pour custard base into ramekins.
- Place ramekins in a large baking dish and fill the dish with 2 inches of boiling water to make a water bath.
- Bake for about an hour checking doneness with a toothpick just slightly away from the center.
- Remove and let cool. Chill upside-down in fridge overnight.
- To serve, run a thin knife around the edge and invert onto a plate. The caramel will run down the sides of the flan beautifully.
It looks like a really nice and tasty recipe and I’m about to try it for sure!
Can I ask you at which temperature does the oven has to be heated for the baking?
I use dulce de leche about once a year, to make south american cookies and I have a tip to easily make it without using the oven and other containers: boil the closed can of condensed milk for 3 hours in a casserole, fully covered with water for the whole time 🙂
Thanks! I’ve heard of the boiled closed can method but haven’t tried it. I’m a bit hesitant to heat a “contents under pressure” and I’m also unsure about anything that may leach from the can when heated. It sounds wonderfully easy though! The oven temperature for the flan is 325 degrees, the same as needed to preheat:) Yum, South American cookies!