Coconut flan with orange caramel - Laylita's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why does my caramel harden when making flan? ›

It's normal. Caramel hardens when you pour it into a ramekin but gradually melts into syrup during cooking. If the layer of caramel poured into a ramekin is too thick, it will not have time to completely melt during cooking. This is why caramel will stick to the bottom.

“Leche Flan” is the Filipino version of Crème brûlée and is also known as Crème caramel. The main difference with this Filipino dessert is that leche flan is Jello-like in consistency, while crème brûlée is pudding-like. Another difference is how the leche flan is cooked.

Over baking will create a rubbery texture that's too firm. The custard is done when the edges are set but the center still jiggles. Once out of the oven, the custard will continue to cook a bit due to residual heat, so be sure to remove the flans from the oven while they still have some jiggle in them.

Place coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and coconut extract in blender; cover. Blend for 5 seconds. Pour into prepared pan; cover lightly with foil. Place pan in large roasting pan; fill roasting pan with warm water to about 1-inch depth.

Bake at 350F until the center is set but still slightly jiggly, about 50-55 minutes. Once baked, allow the dish to cool for an hour before refrigerating overnight. The next day, run a knife around the entire edge of the baking dish to free the flan. Carefully flip the baking dish upside down onto a platter.

Yet to make a flan or a crème brûlée, you'll need to put your custard in a bain marie while it bakes in the oven. The hot water evenly distributes heat around the custard, ensuring that the eggs don't curdle. It also prevents the top from drying out and splitting before the inside is fully cooked.

Crème caramel (French: [kʁɛm kaʁamɛl]), flan, caramel pudding, condensed milk pudding or caramel custard is a custard dessert with a layer of clear caramel sauce.

The former has that signature crackly sugar crust on top, and the latter has the gooey, soft caramel top. Crème brûlée is served within mini soufflé dishes, and flan is served out of the baking dish, standing alone. And it's also the culture each dessert hails from: French and Latin American cuisines, respectively.

You want to avoid creating air bubbles – those bubbles will ruin the smooth texture of your flan!

The flan is ready to be removed from the oven when it has begun to set. Gently shake the pan: the centers of the custard should jiggle slightly. You can also insert the tip of a knife into the custard near the center; if the flan is still liquid, it needs more time in the oven.

Do you have to cover flan with aluminum foil? ›

The oven temperature isn't high enough for the plastic wrap to melt and it gives you a clear view of the flan while baking. However, if plastic in the oven gives you the heebie-jeebies, foil can step up to the plate as well. Covering the custard not only prevents it from forming a skin, but also helps it cook faster.

Like dry caramel, you want to gently move the sugar mixture in that same side-to-side paintbrush-like fashion until the sugar dissolves. Then, as soon as the mixture comes to a boil, it should not be stirred, as the agitation can cause crystallization.

Flan does contain high amount of calcium but the cholesterol and amount of sugar over powers the calcium benefits. One serving (3.5 oz / 100g) of flan has close to 36 grams sugar. It is and seem quite high until you compare it with a can of soda which contains about 44g of sugar.

The flan's history is traced back to ancient Rome when egg surpluses were transformed into custards to produce both sweet and savory tastes. The Spaniards took it to America, where it became a delicacy. Due to the Mexican's heavy influence on the recipe evolved there and became today's sweet staple.

Keep in mind the flan will continue to set as it cools. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer baking dish to a wire rack; cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate for 3 hours or up to 3 days.

To help prevent the caramel from crystallizing, you can add an acid to the sugar before you begin: add about half a tablespoon of lemon juice to each cup of sugar and mix it with your hands; it should be the consistency of wet sand. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat until it melts.

If the temperature gets too hot and the caramel becomes too hard as it cools, you can put it back in the pan with a couple of tablespoons of cold water to try and save it.

If it starts to simmer and your sugar is still in granules and has NOT dissolved, that can crystalize your caramel. You can swirl the pot — or at this point, you can go in with a clean spatula and stir it. Once all the sugar is dissolved, THEN you can turn up the heat and allow the mix to simmer.