Tuesdays With Dorie: 1 of 10

I realize I've left you all hanging from the Cambodia trip - it was so amazing and so much more to tell you. But let me interrupt to let you know about another little thing I'm doing.

I've always enjoyed baking, there's something about homemade desserts that add a special touch - a feeling of warmth, of home. I've been missing that feeling lately and longing for it deeply. When I was reading Ms Greenspan's blog and she was talking about a new internet group "Tuesdays with Dorie" I had to check it out. It's a growing group of some of the most amazing baker's - can't believe I actually joined them, but I did.



We will take a recipe a week from one of my favorite dessert books : Dorie Greenspan's "Baking from my Home to Yours". I adore this book, discovered it around Christmas 2006 when looking for Christmas cookie recipes and fell in love with some in this book. So far everything I've made from "Baking" has turned out yummy.




Including this week's selection for the group - Caramel-topped Flan.

pay no attention the unevenness of the flan, the slightly lumpy texture, or the lack of color in the caramel topping - it tasted good and lessons were learned

This was my first attempt at anything flan-like or custardy. They have always intimidated me a little since my culinary skills are so limited. ~By-the-way, I am WAY over my head in this group, really, really not worthy to be among their ranks 'cause after scootin' around their blogs - they are some awesome cooks. You should seriously check them out.

Anyway, I thought the coconut version sounded real good so that's the one I made. I've never caramelized sugar so really didn't know how to do it and after stirring and stirring to keep the sugar from burning, I finally gave up on the rich amber color that was on her flan in the book. (turns out that to caramelize sugar you put it on med-high heat and let it cook without stirring, but with a watchful eye to avoid burning).

The flan was actually fairly easy to make,but was very exciting since I'd never entered this domain of baking. I mean caramelzing, whisking without the kitchen aid, baking in a water bath... all new.

I was a little hasty at first and although the recipe specifically states that the flan should cool in the fridge for 4 hrs after cooling to room temp - I couldn't help myself I ate one warm. big mistake, way to eggy tasting. The flan needs time to settle and for the flavors to merge. It tasted way, way better after a day in the fridge.

It also turns out that you don't use convection setting for flan - I figured it out after 40 minutes or so of baking and turned it to conventional bake and it took another 30 minutes - it should have taken 30-40 total. (in a few months I'll have this new oven figured out!)

BTW: for the week of April 1
(week #11)

Leigh of Lemon Tartlet has chosen…

Gooey Chocolate Cakes on pages 261-262

Here's the recipe for caramel-topped flan!


For the Caramel
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp water
squirt of fresh lemon juice

For the Flan
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1-1/4 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a roasting pan or a 9-x-13-inch baking pan with a double thickness of paper towels. Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil; when the water boils, turn off the heat.

Put a metal 8-x-2-inch round cake pan-not a nonstick one-in the oven to heat while you prepare the caramel.

To Make the Caramel: Stir the sugar, water and lemon 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-remove the pan from the heat at the first whiff of smoke.

Remove the cake pan from the oven and, working with oven mitts, pour the caramel into the pan and immediately tilt the pan to spread the caramel evenly over the bottom; set the pan aside.

To Make the Flan: Bring the cream and milk just to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a 2-quart glass measuring cup or in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar. Whisk vigorously for a minute or two, and then stir in the vanilla. Still whisking, drizzle in about one quarter of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the hot cream and milk. Using a large spoon, skim off the bubbles and foam that you worked up.

Put the caramel-lined cake pan in the roasting pan. Pour the custard into the cake pan and slide the setup into the oven. Very carefully pour enough hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. (Don't worry if this sets the cake pan afloat.) Bake the flan for about 35 minutes, or until the top puffs a bit and is golden here and there. A knife inserted into the center of the flan should come out clean.

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.

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 shimmy out and the caramel sauce will coat the custard.

Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

my modifications:
13.5 oz unsweetened coconut milk and eliminate the cream, reduce the milk to 1 c.
I also baked it in 6 - 6 oz ramikins.

I hope you make it. And better yet, come join the group!

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