Brown Sugar Double Caramel Flan

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Ingredients

For caramel topping

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup water
  
  For the flan base

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup water

• 1.25 cups FULL FAT Greek yogurt or FULL FAT sour cream

• 4 cups heavy cream

• Seeds 4 of vanilla beans OR 2 tsp vanilla bean paste OR 3 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp salt

• 5 whole eggs

• 5 yolks

• 2 tsp vanilla extract (in addition to the vanilla above)

   

Instructions

1. Create the caramel topping:

   1. Put all the caramel topping ingredients in a large pot and mix. I make it in an enameled cast iron dutch oven pot because it holds heat longer.

   2. Mix again once the brown sugar is starting to melt.

   3. Boil sugar on high for approximately 7 minutes until it is a dark brown but not burnt. DO NOT STIR THE SUGAR WHILE ITS BOILING! It will damage the sugar caramelization.

   4. Take the pan off the heat and let it continue to bubble, boil and caramelize.

   5. Pour the caramel into deep, and 10-11” wide baking pan. The flan will also be cooked in it.

   6. Do not wash the pot you made the caramel in, it will be used again when making the flan base.

2. Create the flan base

   1. Pre-heat oven to 325.

   2. Fill a kettle with 3 quarts of water and bring it to boil while you make the flan base.

   3. In the dutch oven used to make the caramel, Add sugars and water (this is a double caramel flan!).

   4. Mix once immediately and do not mix the sugars again.

   5. Again caramelize the sugar for approximately 5 minutes, until a rich golden brown color.

   6. Turn off the heat and allow the sugar to cool for about 5 minutes.

   7. While the sugar is cooling, in a medium sized bowl, separate 5 yolks.

   8. Add 5 whole eggs to the bowl with the yolks. Whisk together well. Set aside.

   9. Add the cream and yogurt to the hot/warm caramelized sugar in the pot.

   10. Squeeze in the seeds of 4 vanilla beans (or vanilla bean paste). If you are using extract- do not add it until step 13.

   11. Bring the dairy mixture to a simmer (Do NOT boil). As it’s heating, stir throughly to dissolve and incorporate the caramel. Make sure all the caramel is dissolved into the milk mixture.

   12. Turn off the heat.

   13. Add vanilla extract and stir.

   14. Temper the eggs. Don’t let this scare you. To temper slowly add the hot dairy mixture to the eggs. I use a measuring cup slowly adding approximately one cup at a time. You need to whisk constantly so the eggs slowly warm up and don’t scrabble. If this is your first time doing this, it helps to have someone pour the liquid while you whisk. Add a total of 2.5- 3 cups of the dairy mixture to the eggs to completely temper them. Note: After you’ve tempered eggs for a custard once or twice it will be like second nature.

   15. Add the tempered egg & dairy liquid to the pot with the rest of the hot dairy & caramel. Whisk well.

   16. Pour this egg-dairy flan base on top of the caramel in the baking pan.

   17. Create a bain marie (a water bath). To do this, use a roasting dish or baking pan that is big enough and deep enough to hold your baking dish and water.

   18. Put your flan baking dish into the bain marie/roasting dish and put them in the oven.

   19. Take your kettle of hot water and pour it into the roasting dish until the water is as 1/2 the height of the baking dish with the flan in it. This will protect the flan’s custard from cooking too fast.

   20. Bake for approximately 50 minutes until the flan is only slightly wiggly when the pan is moved.

   21. Take the flan pan out the oven.

   22. Allow it to cool on the counter for an hour. Then move it to the refrigerator for 3+ hours.

   23. To release the flan from the plan, run a knife along the sides of the pan.

   24. The flan is served with the caramel on top and in the pan the caramel is on the bottom. You need to flip the flan. To do this, get a large plate, bigger than the flan pan. Gently turn the flan over onto the plate so it comes out of the baking dish and the caramel is ontop.

3. Serve!

If you love our recipes- check out our divine confections we make on our storefront (we ship!)