Caramel Flan

Oh my! This was the most common dessert we had growing up. Simple goodness, basic ingredients, easy to make!

Until our mom felt comfortable giving us something made with store bought canned condensed milk, she would substitute condensed milk with baby formula and cut the sugar to 1/4 and make kids' special Caramel Flan while she made the original for the adults.


For the Caramel:

1/2 cup white granulated sugar
A round cylindrical heat proof glass dish with a lid. This dish should easily fit your steamer.

Add the sugar to a heavy bottom preferably a nonstick pan.  Add some water just enough to wet all the sugar. Start cooking on medium heat.

If your pan is dark, you have to be careful not to burn the caramel because it's hard to see.

Watch your pan closely. At one point you will see a golden spot of caramel develop. Reduce heat. Hold the pan with its handles and move the liquid inside a little. When all the liquid is golden, immediately pour it to the round cylindrical heat proof glass dish. Rotate the dish to cover the bottom and the sides with golden caramel. Keep it aside. You have to be super careful working this as this hot caramel can burn you bad.


Get your steamer going with the pasta insert.

Now it's time for the flan:

1 can condensed milk
4 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Add all the flan ingredients to a deep mixing bowl. Make sure to scrape all the condensed milk out of the can. Fill half of the empty condensed milk can with water. Wash it well with a spoon. You will see the water turning to milky white. Add to your mix of ingredents. Do the same three more times. Beat with a cake mixer for 2 minutes at high. Now pour this into your glass dish with the caramel bottom. Close the dish with a lid and place it in the steamer. Make sure there's enough water in the steamer to last 45 minutes at high. Once done, let it cool down completely before placing in the fridge.

If you are up for the challenge of turning this upside-down for better display. Once it's completely chilled, take blunt tip knife along the inside glass edge. Cover it with your display dish and do a vertical 180 flip on to the display dish.