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This Orange Flan is so smooth and so delicious! Flan may be prepared in
a large flan dish or in individual ramekins. In Mexico, flans are usually served in small
ramekins (custard cups).
More of Linda's
Puddings, Creams, and Custard Recipes.
Don't forget to check out my
Spanish Paella
Dinner
Menu
(with recipes) using this delicious
Orange Flan recipe.
Orange Flan Recipe
Recipe Type:
Puddings, Creams, &
Custards,
Oranges,
Dessert,
Flans
Cuisine: Spanish
Yields:
6 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Carmel cook time: 10 min
Flan cook time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
Drop of
lemon juice
1 (14-ounce) can
sweetened condensed milk*
1 teaspoon
orange zest
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed
orange juice
1/4 cup
half and half cream
or milk
5 large
eggs
2 drops pure orange oil (optional)
1/4 cup orange liqueur
*I usually use the fat-free sweetened condensed milk to cut
some of the calories.
Prepare Caramel:
In a heavy saucepan over low to medium-low heat, combine 1 cup sugar, water, and drop of
lemon juice (the lemon juice keeps the mixture from hardening or crystalling).
NOTE: I
find that maintaining a low heat, I have more control over the caramelizing process, as it
is really easy to burn.
Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and
mixture just begins to simmer. After sugar
dissolves and syrup is simmering, cook for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, without
stirring. Hold handle of pan and gently tilt the pan
off the heat to distribute color evenly as sugar caramelizes. When sugar reaches a uniform
golden brown (light amber) color, immediately remove from heat and pour into individual
ramekins or custard dishes, coating the bottoms evenly (tilt the dishes so that the
caramel coats the bottom). Watch it carefully, it can go past the light brown stage
quickly and burn. Set aside and let cool.
Photos showing stages of the caramelizing process:
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Stage 1 |
Stage 2 |
Stage 3 |
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Stage 4 |
Stage 5 - Done - Remove from heat immediately.
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Prepare Flan:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a blender, combine
condensed milk, orange zest, orange juice, half & half, eggs, orange oil, and orange
liqueur; process until smooth. Pour into individual ramekins or custard dishes.
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Definition of Water Bath or Bain-Marie
(bahn
mah-REE) -
A hot water
bath or bain-marie are used to cook custards and baked eggs in the oven without
curdling or cracking, and also used to hold sauces and to clarify
butter.
Water baths
are most often used for egg-based dishes.
The proteins in the eggs are very
heat sensitive and only need to be warmed to cook thoroughly.
They will start to get firm at only 145 degrees. Cooking them
with a slow, gentle heat keeps the eggs soft and smooth.
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Place ramekins or custard cups into an ovenproof roasting
or baking pan. If cooking custards in a metal pan, cover the bottom of the pan with a
layer of newspaper to ensure an even temperature on the bottom.
Bring the water for the water bath
(see definition
on right) to a light simmer on top
of the stove; carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come half-way up the sides
of the custard cups. NOTE: The most common mistake people make in baking custard is not
putting enough water in the hot-water bath.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set around the edges but
still loose in the center. The cooking time will depend largely on the size of the custard
cups you are using, but begin checking at 20 minutes and check back regularly. When the
center of custard is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken, that's when you can
remove it from the oven (the flans will continue to set as they cool). Remove from oven
and leave in the water bath until cooled. Remove cups from water bath and refrigerate at
least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
To unmold and serve, carefully dip bottom of each ramekin
in a baking pan of hot water briefly. Run a thin knife around edge of each ramekin to
loosen it from the inside of the bowl. Wipe the outside of the mold dry, place an
individual chilled serving plate (topside down) on top of each flan. Invert the custard
onto the plate and carefully lift off ramekin (shake gently to release flan), allowing
caramel syrup to run over flan; pour any extra caramel remaining in the mold over the
custard.
Makes 6 servings (depending on size of the custard cups).
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