Cuban Vanilla Flan

Story:
We got this recipe from our friend Nick whose family is from Cuba.  He and his mom sat down and wrote down this delicious recipe for us--we are so grateful!!

Ingredients:
2   1/2 cups of regular granulated sugar
6 eggs
1 can sweet condensed milk - we used 14 oz
1 can evaporated milk - we used 12 oz
3 teaspoons  of vanilla extract

Instructions:

1.  Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Prepare the caramel for the mold - put the sugar in a saucepan at medium heat until the sugar becomes a liquid caramel. Don't let it boil. Stir occasionally as the caramel is forming. When the caramel is fully liquid and thin and without sugar lumps, pour it into a metal baking mold. I like to use a round bundt mold, but any round or square mid size mold with high walls should work. The key is that you will need to place this mold inside another mold with water so make sure you have a larger mold to put it in.  Back to the caramel, coat the walls and bottom of the mold you are using for the flan with the liquid caramel, making sure you spread it quickly since the caramel will start thickening and hardening. Put the mold coated with the  caramel aside.

3. Prepare the flan mixture - in a large bowl, mix the six eggs (yolks and whites), the condensed milk and the evaporated milk. Make sure they are well mixed. A wire whisk works well for this. Once the mixture is ready, add the vanilla extract and mix it in.

4. Prepare to bake - Pour the flan mixture into the mold that has been coated with the caramel. Put a larger pan with about two or three inches of water in the oven. Then put the mold with the flan mixture inside the larger pan with the water.  The water should not get into the mold that has your flan mixture. The purpose of cooking the flan inside a mold with water is to prevent burning and overcooking of the flan.

5. Cooking the flan - cook the flan at 375 degrees for about an hour. At an hour, check to see if the flan is fully cooked. You do this by inserting a knife, toothpick or a chopstick into the flan and if the item comes out clean, without flan mixture stuck to it,the flan will be done.  If it comes out with uncooked flan mixture on it, continue baking it another ten minutes and check it again. The flan should not take more than 85 minutes total.

6. Ready to eat - when cooked, take  the flan out of the oven and let it rest at room temperature until it cools off. That is at least 60 minutes. When cool, pass a knife on the edges of the mold to detach the flan from the mold.  Tap the sides of the mold to make sure the flan is loose and will come out of the mold when you turn it.  This is the scary part - cover the mold with a plate and turn the mold around so the flan descends into the serving plate. The flan and the caramel should come unto the plate without breaking apart. Make sure you get all the liquid caramel on top of the flan.  After the flan cools off, store it covered with aluminum foil  in the refrigerator and it is ready to eat. Flan is best when cold.

Tune of the Moment: Get Lucky by Daft Punk

What were we snacking on? blueberry muffins, chai tea, and a Malibu Melt breakfast sandwich from Sweetleaf

Flan mixture from step 2

sugar --> caramel  ??!?!?!?!?!

pretending it's christmas