Most flan recipes that I have made have turned out to be what they call Crema Volteada here in Peru. I have loved every one of the creamy, sweet dishes I have made and eaten.
The flan this week took me back a bit and reminded me why I don’t love “flan”. It reminds me that it is sort of like a creamy jello, but not. This has a texture that I don’t find enjoyable; although some highly prefer it. With a syrupy sauce, but not. My flan wound up topped with a caramel water and not a caramel syrup. Flan is something that I would like to love, but don’t.
I admit, I made a few substitutions to avoid running to the corner store. Maybe that affected the outcome. Unfortunately, this caramel topped flan did not win my heart like other Dorie recipes I have made. I will stick with my crema volteada style flan and allow my guests to devour the caramel topped flan since they all seemed to love it!
Caramel-Topped Flan
Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours
by Dorie Greenspan
Serves 6-8
For the Caramel:
1/3 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of water
squirt of fresh lime juice
For the Flan:
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1 1/4 cups of whole milk
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of toffee extract
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with a double thickness of paper towels. Put a metal 8-x-2-inch round cake pan (not a nonstick one) in the oven to heat while you prepare the caramel.
2. Stir the sugar, water and lime juice together in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Put the pan over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar becomes an amber-colored caramel, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove the cake pan from the oven and pour the caramel into the pan and immediately tilt the pan to spread the caramel evenly over the bottom; set the pan aside.
4. Bring the cream and milk just to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk vigorously for a minute or two, and then stir in the vanilla. Whisk in about one quarter of the hot milk to temper the eggs. Then slowly whisk in the remainder of the milk mixture. Using a large spoon, skim off the bubbles and foam.
5. Put the caramel-lined cake pan in the roasting pan. Pour the custard into the cake pan and slide the baking dish with the cake pan into the oven. Pour boiling water baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake the flan for about 35 minutes (mine took over an hour) or until the top puffs a bit (mine never puffed) and is golden here and there. A knife inserted into the center of the flan should come out clean.
6. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, transfer the cake pan to a cooking rack and run a knife between the flan and the sides of the pan to loosen it. Let the flan cool to room temperature on the rack, then loosely cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
7. When ready to serve, once more, run a knife between the flan and the pan. Choose a rimmed serving platter, place the platter over the cake pan, quickly flip the platter and pan over and remove the cake pan. The flan will slide out and the caramel sauce will coat the custard.
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Caramel-Topped Flan is being served up for Tuesdays With Dorie. This weeks TWD recipe was chosen by Steph of A Whisk and A Spoon. Enjoy more Caramel-Topped Flan by visiting the blogroll at the Tuesdays With Dorie website.
Too bad that this recipe didn’t live up to your expectations, but there is always next week!
At least you have a fall-back flan type dessert; I stick with something more like creme brulee personally. Either way, it looks amazing!
We didn’t like the runny sauce either, but your flan looks great. And I know, that I don’t like the next week’s recipe: It’s dense, moist and underbaked, nothing for the North European palate
Ulrike from Küchenlatein
it looks like creme caramel! Very yummy looking! Hope you had a great Easter! x
Looks just perfect! And delicious.
It looks wonderful! Not my fav, either, but it was fun to make.
I think your flan looks really nice. I especially like picture number 2. I had been hoping for a thicker caramel sauce not the runny one that it ended up having. My husband sucked it back though, He loved it!
Beautiful photos! Your flan looks perfect…like the kind that I love!
Noskos – True, I think i will like next weeks!
Engineer Baker – I like the creamier kind best!
Ulli – Too bad you won’t enjoy the molten cakes, I think they will be a favorite of mine!
Bev – Thanks! Nice Easter, and you?
Shari – Thanks!
Annemarie – It is good we try things even though they are not our favorite!
Marie – Thanks so much! The caramel was just not as i expected either.
Karen – Thanks girl!
your flan looks really smooth and silky. Too bad that it was not up to your expectation. Well, I know that I won’t like the recipe for TWD next week and I’m now contemplating whether I should give it a miss!
Your pics look great! Much better than my flan turned out.
Flan equals childhood for me. So many memories. This one is perfectly baked too, I can tell. So smooth! Well done!
Gretchen, this looks sooo delicous! I love flan! I am printing out the recipe ASAP. Now I have a bunch of printouts of yummy stuff from my favorite blogs including yours, and hopefully I’ll try all of them. Thanks for posting!
yours looks good, despite the caramel water. Did you serve yours the same day, or later? I’m curious if I’d have gotten caramel water without the wait as well.
It looks great. Sorry you didn’t care for it though.
Yours looks beautiful. But there are flans I like and some I don’t.
I’m not sure why you got caramel water instead of syrup. When I cooked the caramel it took nearly 10 minutes rather than 5; I watched it carefully so I could remove it from the heat at the right moment.
Now, after a few days in the refrigerator, the caramel syrup is still fine. It could be the cooking time or the kind of sugar; hard to say.
Would be willing to post your version as a comparison?
super beau et super réussi! bravo
Glad you have a fallback. It wasn’t my favorite either. But, it sure looks pretty!
Sorry you didn’t like it all that much. It still looks great- you have a beautiful presentation!
Your flan looks gorgeous. Its too bad you didn’t like it but I guess you can’t like them all right?
Flan … meh. I don’t like it, either. But your pics are lovely.
I love flan! Though I get the texture and runny caramel thing, but I’m going to try your recipe anyway! (this is the Rebecca of From Argentina With Love!)(Though I agree with the other Rebecca that your photos make the flan look lucious!)
It looks delicious! Great pictures!
Your flan looks great, too bad you didn’t enjoy it. Hope you could make some others happy with it.
Caramel water is a perfect name for it! Yours looks great though.
Hi – the flan looks great! Good on you for having a go – I didn’t even get that far! Here’s to next week! Hx
Sorry to hear it didn’t come out exactly as you’d hoped — I know the feeling.
But I’m glad your guests liked it, and at least you’ll be on to a new recipe next week! The pictures look great, btw.
Sorry to read you weren’t thrilled with the results. It does look good, though.
j
Yours looks absolutely stunning! Just like flan should look!
This is wicked!!!! Your recipe is also so simple that even I as a novice can make it, thx
This is wicked!!!! Your recipe is also so simple that even I as a novice can make it, thx
This is wicked!!!! Your recipe is also so simple that even I as a novice can make it, thx
This is wicked!!!! Your recipe is also so simple that even I as a novice can make it, thx
Hi!
My name is Jasmine and I’m from Quebec, Canada. I have juste discovered your blog and I love it! I’m going to Peru in 3 weeks and I wanted to try some peruvian recipes before I go. There are so many delicious recipes here, I don’t have to look no more.
Mine wasn’t everything I dreamed it would be either. At least it looks nice!
Very nice!!
It still came out beautifully even though you weren’t that crazy about it. Great photos too!
your flan looks beautiful. kind of like there is an amber colored glass on the top of it. what is crema volteada style flan?
I make lots of things I don’t like but that my family or guests, do. Oh, the sacrifices we make for those we love! Great job!
i didn’t love it either but your pics look great!
Piggy – Thanks! Too bad you won’t like the chocolate cakes, I am really looking forward to them!
Heather – Thanks!
Aran – Memories, really? (Hopefully good ones!) Thanks!
Farida – Cannot wait to hear what you think!
Katrina – I served mine a day later. With other flans, I know it typically has gotten thinner, but it remained syruppy no matter what day.
Dianne – Thanks!
Tanna – True, some I am learning to love…maybe to much!
Judy – I am really not sure how long I cooked the caramel…it was dark and boiling for some time, certainly not just 5 minutes! But, maybe in an effort not to burn it I pulled it away too soon. I followed the recipe on the caramel part though, with white sugar and everything!
Isabelle – Merci!
Bumblebutton – I have enjoyed others more, but I am pleased I tried another recipe!
Erin – Thanks!
CB – You are so right!
Rebecca – Thanks!
Rebe – Glad you are going to try it, but you may want to attempt more of a Latin style one, that may over better in your home!
Heather – Thanks!
Mevrouw – Yes, others did enjoy it!
Melissa – True…caramel water topped flan!
Helen – Thanks! Hope you enjoy the chocolate cakes for next week!
Amy – I am looking forward to next weeks recipe!
jasmine – Thanks!
Kimberlyblue – Thanks!
Nina – Flan is rather simple to make, I have learned that!
Jasmine – Visiting Peru? That is so exciting! I hope you enjoy the recipes here, please let me know if you have any questions!
Carrie – It is a stunning dessert all around, but the taste and texture don’t always match up!
Nicisme – Thanks!
Cruising Kitty – Thanks!
Frosted Bake Shop – Thanks! The crema volteada style is the latin style of flan using condensed milk. It seems to produce more of a creamy flan rather than a jiggly flan!
Rachel – So true!!!
Smells Like Home – Thanks!
You did a fabulous making it even though it was exactly to your liking. I love the Peruvian name for flan, so poetic!
Even though the caramel was more like syrup when I was distributing it around the bottom of the baking pan, I was very surprised the caramel was so watery when I served the flan. I didn’t mind the texture so much, but, now that you’ve mentioned it, maybe the flan would have been better with a caramel syrup rather than water.
I wished my flans came out creamier; my parents felt that it was little too hard.
Yes, I would love to love flan too….but it just ain’t happening! I’m with you all the way
Yes, I would love to love flan too….but it just ain’t happening! I’m with you all the way
Yes, I would love to love flan too….but it just ain’t happening! I’m with you all the way
Yes, I would love to love flan too….but it just ain’t happening! I’m with you all the way
Tartelette – I am just glad others got to enjoy it!
Cecilia – Syrup would have been much nicer and creamy is delicious when it comes to flan. I think.
Baker’s Lamb – Next time…next time.
sorry you didn’t really like it. it looks PERFECT though – so shiny and smooth!