Flan is one of the most popular desserts in the Dominican Republic. Don't be intimidated, it is easier to prepare than it looks. The original recipe that we have modified was sent to us by "la Profesora", one of our readers.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dominican, Latino, Spanish
Keyword dominican flan, how to make flan, spanish creme caramel, spanish flan
Mix sugar and water and cook in a heavy saucepan over low heat until thick dark caramel forms. Make sure it does not burn! Pour carefully into a 5-cup baking pan and spread all over. Cool to room temperature, by then the caramel should have hardened.A simpler way, if your mold allows for it, just heat the sugar directly in the mold, and once it melts and turns a dark color, remove from the heat and spread on the bottom and sides of the pan.
2. Making the flan mixture
Mix together egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and evaporated milk, stir to combine. Sieve to get rid of undissolved egg parts. Pour carefully into the baking pan, trying not to disturb the caramel layer.
3. Baking
Bake in a hot water bath (bain Marie) in preheated oven to 320 ºF [160ºC] for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Serving
Remove from the oven and the water bath and cool to room temperature. Chill in the fridge. Loosen the edges of the flan with a toothpick. Place a serving plate on top of the mold (one which will retain the syrup) and invert. Serve still chilled.
Video
Notes
Be very careful with hot caramel, it can cause serious injuries.The color of your caramel is a matter of taste, I fall on the darker side, which will impart the flan the faintest hint of bitterness which I love, but it should not burn. You have to remove it from the heat just before it reaches the color you want because it will take just a second or two to get darker or burn.My favorite, lazy way to coat a caramel pan is to just heat the sugar directly on the pan, so nothing else to clean. This, however, may not be possible with every pan (bundt pans, for example), in that case, use the first suggested method.