Peruvian Flan

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 (14 ounce) can condensed milk
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 strawberries (optional)
• 8 maraschino cherries (optional)
• 8 raspberries (optional)

Recipe

• 1 to prepare sauce, put medium size heavy skillet (empty) over medium heat (large burner) for 40 seconds. (i have an electric stove so would be less for gas.).
• 2 keep burner at medium, add sugar to the pan and stir with the back of a wooden spoon, keep sugar moving constantly until sugar is completely melted and a rich medium brown color (caramelized)--between 9 and 10 minutes. note: i also use a fork to squish out any lumps at the end of this process.
• 3 immediately - and carefully - pour hot sauce into ovenproof pie plate or 9 inch round baking pan, gently moving dish so sauce covers bottom and sides. it is unnecessary to grease the pie dish.
• 4 let cool completely-about 40 minutes.
• 5 to prepare the custard for the flan; preheat oven to 350 degrees and notice that for step 11 you will need to have boiling water.
• 6 stir eggs in a medium sized bowl.
• 7 slowly add condensed milk, then evaporated milk.
• 8 add vanilla, blending well.
• 9 pour flan mixture into ovenproof dish that you have already coated with caramel.
• 10 carefully place filled dish into a larger baking pan.
• 11 pour in enough hot water to reach about halfway up dish. (this water bath process is called bano mar(acu)a in spanish and bain-marie in french.).
• 12 bake about 40 minutes.
• 13 flan is cooked when a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• 14 remove from oven, let cool in water bath, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly.
• 15 carefully separate flan from dish with a thin knife.
• 16 invert on a flat dish and garnish with sliced strawberries, maraschino cherries or other fruit.
• 17 notes: flan should be refrigerated for a few days because it tastes best served very cold. use boiling water to clean up the hardened caramel on your utensils and pan.:).