This flan is a sweet treat with a great "bite" and texture. Can't be beat!
Author: Crystal Cartier
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Serves: 6-8 ramekins
Ingredients
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)
Instructions
Dulce de Leche
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.
Flan
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.
ENJOY!!!
Recipe by The Eclectic Kitchen - Crystal Cartier at https://theeclectickitchen.com/2014/02/04/easy-creamy-dulce-de-leche-flan/