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Caramel Coconut Flan

Source of Recipe

From "Saveur: The New Comfort Food"


Recipe Introduction

Many traditional recipes for this custardy Mexican sweet call for cooking it on the stovetop, but baking it is easier and results in an equally sumptuous texture and flavor. A rich combination of coconut milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk makes for an especially silky flan.

List of Ingredients

◦  1 cup sweetened condensed milk
◦  ¾ cup evaporated milk
◦  ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
◦  ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
◦  ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
◦  3 eggs plus 3 egg yolks
◦  1½ cups sugar


Recipe

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325° F.

Heat the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and coconut milk in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer; remove from the heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the vanilla, salt, eggs, and yolks until smooth. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the warm milk mixture until incorporated; set aside.

Stir together the sugar and ½ cup water in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar turns a deep caramel color, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour equal amounts of the caramel mixture into eight 6-ounce ramekins; let cool.

Put four ramekins each into two 8-inch square glass baking dishes and pour an equal amount of the reserved milk mixture into each ramekin. Pull out the oven rack and place the baking dishes on it, side by side. Pour enough boiling water into the baking dishes that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custard is just set but still wiggly in the center, about 30 minutes. Covering your hand with a kitchen towel or an oven mitt, pick up the ramekins, transfer them to the refrigerator, and let chill for about 3 hours.

To serve, use a knife to cut around the inside edges of each ramekin and immerse the bottom of each ramekin in a baking pan of hot water for 20 seconds; invert the ramekins onto small plates to release the flans.


Serves 8