Spain - Dessert - Flan de Café

I've never had flan before, but I've always wanted to try it, so my senior project provided the perfect opportunity. After following this recipe, I had coffee flan! Coffee is one of my favorite flavors to incorporate into baking, and it's so easy. Just add a little bit of instant coffee or espresso, or Kahlua, and your final product will have a little kick to it.



Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk
5 large eggs
1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
1 to 2 tablespoons Instant Coffee Granules
20ml Kahlua
1 tsp pure vanilla essence
Whipped cream and fresh fruit to serve

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. For the caramel: Place the sugar into a medium sized heavy-based saucepan or skillet (fry pan) over medium heat. As the sugar begins to melt, use a heatproof rubber spatula or a metal spoon to drag it towards the centre of the pan. Continue to do this until all the sugar has melted and begun to color. Keep cooking, swirling the pan to prevent burning, until the sugar turns a golden reddish-brown and just begins to smoke (about 3-4 minutes). Quickly pour onto bottom of 9-inch deep pie dish; swirl around bottom and side to coat. Put aside for the caramel to set.

3. For the flan: Place the sweetened condensed milk, eggs, evaporated milk, coffee granules, Kahlua (if using) and vanilla essence in blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour into prepared dish; cover with foil. Place dish in large roasting pan; fill roasting pan with water to about 1-inch depth.

4. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes (I needed about 65) or until there is a slight jiggle in the middle of the flan (don’t wait until it is set firm, or the result will be rubbery). Remove flan from water and cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

5. To serve, run a small spatula around edge of pan. Invert serving plate over dish. Turn over; shake gently to release. You will find that some of the caramel will remain hardened in the bottom of your dish – you can simply microwave it on high for 10-20 seconds to melt it and pour it back over top of the flan. Serve topped with whipped cream and fruit (or just have it plain like I did, or like my dad with melted chocolate on top).