I have heard several times, including on television, that flan is believed to be a Mexican dessert. But if we go to the origins of this delicious delicacy, we realize that it was actually born on the other side of the world. The oldest known records of what gave rise to the flan we know today take us back to the Romans when they began to domesticate chickens and incorporate eggs into different recipes.
The first name that this dessert had was tyropatina. Later, a new mixture was born: eggs, milk, and honey. During the Middle Ages, this dessert was consumed during Lent. In those days, it was when it began to be made with sugar. The first version had pepper, but this ingredient was later replaced by caramel, like the one we know today. The name flan comes from the 7th century and is a French word meaning flat cake. When flan became popular, new versions began to be born, depending on the country where it was prepared. But the basic recipe to prepare it includes eggs, milk, and sugar. It is cooked in a bain-marie, and caramel is added. Traditionally, no maple syrup is used in the flan recipe, but this addition increases the flavor, showcasing the caramel flavor.
It happens to many people that the caramel burns and gives the flan a bitter taste. So that this does not happen, remember that sugar must be placed with water and constantly stirred until bubbles begin to form and the sugar changes color. Then, it should be immediately removed from the fire. If you are an experienced baker or confectioner, you know it is possible to make it happen just by heating the sugar to the right temperature without adding any liquids, but by adding liquid, you reduce the chances of the caramel tasting bitter and being ruined. It is important that you don’t add too much liquid because the caramel needs to harden when it is cooled, so it stays separated from the liquids and doesn’t become one item while cooking. You want the caramel and the flan to be separated. Most people use sugar and water for the caramel, but I use maple syrup to make the caramel. There is a video for reference at the end.
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 lb cream cheese
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of condensed milk
2 tbsp vanilla paste or extract
Caramel:
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of maple syrup
Method:
For the flan:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a blender, mix all the ingredients. Eggs, maple syrup, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream cheese. It helps to do this first, so it can rest a few minutes while you make the caramel to get a silky smooth flan without bubbles inside. If not, using a colander always works.
For the caramel:
In a medium pan, heat the sugar at high heat. Do NOT stir.
Once almost half the sugar has been melted, you can add the maple syrup, stir, and let the sugar melt completely.
Once all the sugar is dissolved, immediately pour the caramel into the mold. With your hands protected (liquid caramel burns horribly), quickly spread the caramel all around the whole surface, top to bottom, right to left. This needs to be done fast because it hardens and sets in seconds.
Let the caramel cool completely.
Pour the flan mixture into the mold and cover it with aluminum foil. Poke some holes in the foil so you don’t get condensation into the flan while cooking.
Place the mold onto a bigger one or pan with some water to create a bain-marie.
Cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until completely set. To ensure, insert a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean.
Let cool completely and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Run a knife all around to ensure it is not sticking to the mold and doesn’t break when unmolding.
Place a plate or container where you will serve or store the flan and turn it upside down. It is important that the flan is completely cold for it to set entirely to get the desired texture in the final product, and it doesn’t break when you unmold it.
Mmmm😋👍🏼