If you’re a dessert enthusiast, then you’ve tried flan, but not my version: Creme Caramel Flan with Rum. Flan is a popular Mexican and Spanish Cuisine staple found in many restaurants. However, if you have yet to try this delicious dessert, you are in for a treat! Milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla are used to make flan, a creamy custard dessert with a caramel top. Finally, I am ready to serve; I will flip the custard over so the caramel drips down from the top along the sides.
Prepare your baking dish.
Creme Caramel Flan with Rum should made in a loaf pan. Choose a ceramic baking dish to make it easier to invert the flan onto a plate. Use cooking spray or a little butter to grease the baking dish.
Making the caramel for the flan:
- Pour 1 cup of sugar and two tablespoons of water into a stainless steel saucepan.
- Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, swirling the pan to combine the sugar and water.
- Do not stir.
- Boil until deep amber in color, occasionally swirling the pan to caramelize evenly, about 10 minutes total.
Watch the pan carefully after the mixture starts turning golden. If you start to smell burning, take the mixture off the heat for a few seconds to slow the cooking process. Then, place back on the heat. It will quickly become light brown, then amber, then dark amber. Take off the heat. The caramel will be done, and you will be ready to make the Creme Caramel Flan with Rum!
In a saucepan, combine the milk (whichever combo you decide on), lemon zest, salt, and remaining 1½ cups of sugar. Over low heat, heat through, stirring to melt the sugar. Set aside.
Beat the flan mixture.
In a large mixing bowl, pour the heated milk mixture into the bowl. Next, beat the eggs into the mixture, slowly beating one egg at a time so the eggs don’t cook. The finished mixture should be light, fluffy, and creamy.
Add in a teaspoon of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Myer’s Dark Rum for added flavor.
As you can see from the finished product above, the Creme Caramel Flan with Rum has a beautiful presentation to please all your guests.
Creme Caramel Flan with Rum has a long history. Hence, as the Roman Empire expanded throughout Europe, so did new versions of flan. Today, the classic sweet caramel sauce started to show up in Spain. Eventually, Spain brought the recipe to the New World, specifically to the south of Mexico.
Creme Caramel Flan with Rum
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups sugar divided – 1 cup for caramel and the remaining 1 1/2 cups for the custard
- 3 cups whole milk or 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream or 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream
- orange zest
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs
- 2 egg egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make caramel: Pour 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water into a saucepan, preferably one that is white or light-colored inside. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, swirling the pan to combine the sugar and water. Do not stir. Let boil until deep amber in color, swirling the pan occasionally to caramelize evenly, about 10 minutes total. Watch the pan carefully after the mixture starts turning golden; it will quickly become light brown, then amber, then dark amber.
- Grease the loaf pan with butter. Immediately pour caramel into a 9-by-5-inch greased loaf pan and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Set aside to harden.
- Heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine milk, orange zest, salt, and remaining 1½ cups sugar in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat through over low heat to just a boil, stirring to melt the sugar. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly mixed and blend until smooth, creamy and and throughly mixed.
- Remove the orange zest strips from the hot milk mixture. Add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture only a small amount at a time. Make sure to incorporate very slowly so the eggs don't cook. Once finished, pour the egg-milk mixture into the caramel-lined pan.
- Place a 9- by- 13-inch baking dish in the lower third of oven. Carefully place the loaf pan in the baking dish. Pour hot tap water into the baking dish until it comes about halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. (Don’t worry if the oven seems to be losing heat; the flan will adjust.)
- Bake 45 minutes to one hour until the flan is set but still jiggly in the center. Remove the flan from the water bath and cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Refrigerate, uncovered, until cold and firm, at least 8 hours or up to 3 days. The caramel will soften as it sits.
- To unmold, run a thin sharp knife around the edges. Center a flat-bottomed platter or serving dish with a rim on top of the pan and, holding both, carefully flip the pan and plate together. The flan will fall onto the plate with a squelch; lift off the pan and let the caramel run all over the top. (If the flan doesn’t come out, flip it back over and rest the bottom of the pan on a hot wet kitchen towel for a few minutes, to melt the caramel.) Serve chilled, in slices.