The Master Flan.

If there's one dessert that I can never get enough of, it's leche flan. And that's quite understandable since I'm absolutely crazy over anything with caramel on it. On the average, I can devour one lyanera (or two - LOL) of leche flan in one sitting. Hello, calories!

A typical Filipino feast will not be complete without leche flan. It's one of the most common dessert served on a Pinoy festive table. For instance, ours.

My brother and sister-in-law threw a party today to celebrate the Christening of their firstborn (and my niece), Maggie. And of course, sitting at the end of the buffet table were molders upon molders of leche flan. They've been sitting in our fridge last night, actually. It's a miracle they made it through the morning. LOL.

I'm not the dessert queen of our household, but I do have a recipe for this particular sweet treat. Come to think of it, my husband knows a lot more about making leche flan than I do. If you want to give it a shot, this recipe might help:


FILIPINO LECHE FLAN

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Estimated cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 can (390g) evaporated milk
1 can (390g) condensed milk
10 egg yolks
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence

For the caramel:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

Cooking Instructions:

• In a saucepan, mix the sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelize.
• Pour the caramelized sugar into aluminum moulds - you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the moulds.
• Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender.
• Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum moulds. Fill the moulds to about 1 to  1 1/4 inch thick.
• Cover moulds individually with aluminum foil.
• Steam for about 20 minutes (the traditional way to make Leche Flan is by open-air steaming on either an open cooking fire or stove top) OR
• Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking.
• Let cool then refrigerate.
• To serve: run a thin knife around the edges of the mould to loosen the Leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the mould and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.

Cooking Tip:
You can tell when the Leche Flan is cooked by inserting a knife - if it comes out clean, it's cooked.

Sounds like a good flan. :)