The Dessert My Mom Begs Me To Make Every Time I Visit Home
It's a 5-ingredient household favorite.
Becoming the baker in the family is both a blessing and a curse. I love trying new recipes and having my family members act as my guinea pigs and test the final products, especially when those recipes are desserts tied to my Mexican heritage. Of course, this also means frequent requests for more of said cookies, pies, cakes, etc.—all of which I’m happy to oblige.
Since going to college out of state, I haven’t been able to visit home very often. Classes, work, and high flight prices have made my trips less frequent. But when I do get home, my mom immediately begs me to make her favorite dessert. If I don’t, I never hear the end of it.
So, what's the infamous dessert that has my mom following me around the house until I make it for her? Mexican Flan.
What is Mexican Flan?
Flan is a caramel custard dessert known for its smooth, creamy texture and rich caramel topping. However, the sweet bakery treat can actually be traced back to a savory dish created in ancient Rome, where chickens were domesticated and eggs were abundant.
The name comes from the French word ‘flaon’ (derived from the Old German word ‘flado’, which essentially translates to ‘flat cake’), and over time, the egg-based dish evolved into the sweet delicacy we know today. Spaniards brought the recipe to Mexico during their conquest, and since then, flan has become famous across all regions of Mexico—and in my house.
This dessert is typically made with eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla and baked in a water bath to achieve its signature silky texture. Once cooked and cooled, the flan is inverted onto a plate, revealing the golden caramel sauce on top and creating an effortlessly elegant dish.
How To Make Mexican Flan
While custard desserts scared me at first, I’ve found flan is actually extremely easy to make—and I have this tried and true recipe to thank for that.
To make flan, start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until liquefied and golden in color. Once the sugar is caramelized, carefully pour the hot syrup into a deep 9-inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom.
CARAMEL TIP
If you're like me and get impatient waiting for your caramel to come together, try using some caramel dip from the grocery store. If you'd rather put in the work, utilizing brown sugar instead of white sugar will help speed things along but still give you beautiful golden caramel results.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until consistent. Then, add condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Pour the egg mixture on top of the caramel in the baking dish.
Place the dish inside a deep roasting pan, then carefully pour in enough hot water to come one inch up the sides of the dish. Bake in the preheated oven until just set with a slight jiggle in the center, checking in at the 55-minute mark. Once done, remove from the oven and carefully transfer the baking dish to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, keeping in mind that the flan will continue to set as it cools. Refrigerate for around three hours or up to three days.
My mom prefers to have it fresh out of the oven but I prefer it to be cooled off before digging in. Other recipes include zhushing it up with fresh fruit, but I like to keep it simple. The next time I’m home, I'll be prepared to whip up a pan of this five-ingredient favorite just for my momma.
Read the original article on All Recipes.
