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Classic Leche Flan
I posted previously a recipe for Coco Flan and Pumpkin Flan but I just realized that I hadn’t posted a recipe for the Classic Leche Flan with just milk and eggs and no additional flavoring. Since I had 8 egg yolks that needed to be used up, I decided to make flan for our Easter dinner dessert. A great way to celebrate the egg.
INGREDIENTS:
8 egg yolks (can be reduced to 6)
1 12 oz. can Evaporated Milk
1 14 oz. can Condensed Milk
1/2 cup of Sugar
1/2 can of whole milk (to rinse out the condensed milk can - what can I say, I just hate wasting anything
)1 teaspoon pure Vanilla ExtractWhisk all the ingredients together until well blended.
Prepare your cooking pans:
I used two 7 inch diameter round baking pans. To make the caramel sauce, put in each pan:
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Water
Place the pan over medium heat until sugar is melted and bubbly. Cook just until you get an nice amber color. Don’t leave it too long or the sugar will burn. I used thongs to hold the pan over the heat and to swirl the sugar mixture around to coat the bottom of the pan.
Alternatively, you can also put the sugar, lemon juice and water in a small saucepan and caramelize them that way then pour them into the round pans, but I’m always trying to save on the number of dishes I have to wash, ergo, I caramelize the sugar right in the pans.
Once you have your caramelized sugar ready, you can pour the flan mixture into the pans, dividing equally. Make sure you pour the mixture through a sieve to catch any remaining solids from the egg. This will give you a smoother flan. Cover each pan with foil and place in a large pan with sides. Place the pan in an oven (pre-heat to 350degrees F) and pour enough hot water in the pan so that the level comes almost half way up the sides of the round pans. Cook at 350 degrees F for two hours.
NOTES:
You can cook it faster at a higher temp, but if you let the flan mixture come to a boil, you will end up with craters or holes throughout your flan. Some people don’t mind the craters, it certainly doesn’t take away from the flavor, but to others, the sign of a good flan is the absence of craters.
Most flan recipes call for egg yolks rather than whole eggs because that distinct ‘eggy’ flavor and aroma is mainly found on the albumen or whites of the egg. Some people find it unpleasant, but I don’t really mind. I’ve had flans with whole eggs and they weren’t bad at all. I just prefer the Filipino version of flan which uses mainly egg yolks and I think is a bit denser and full flavored than other versions.
To unmold, simply run a knife around the edge cover with your serving dish and turn over. Lift up the pan and it should lift right up, the caramelized sugar flowing to make a nice sauce over the dish.
I think leche flan is best served cold and worth waiting for.
Popularity: 70% [?]
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March 25th, 2008 at 1:36 am
gimme gimme!
i can’t resist the call of leche flan. hee hee! i will try your version. it’s amazing how there are so many versions of leche flan. my only problem is caramelizing the sugar. i’m never consistent with it. so good luck to me! hahaha!
March 25th, 2008 at 9:40 am
hi munchkin mommy, yeah, I wish we had more people to share with so my daughter Asi wouldn’t have had to eat it all ourselves. lol!
With the caramelizing, I found if I take the sugar mixture off the heat before it gets to the color I want, it usually comes out perfect as it continues to melt from the heat of the pan. Also, try not to stir the sugar mixture while your caramelizing it. I found that when stirred, it becomes crystallized.
March 26th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I haven’t eaten flan in ages…blame it on the gelaterie—there are so many of them that I hardly ever make any dessert that uses vast amounts of milk or eggs!
RYC: I was wondering if monkfish would go good in sinigang. I’ve got those Mama Sita soup base mixes which are just sitting in the cupboard!
March 26th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
ang ganda at ang kinis ng leche flan mo JMommy!!!
makes me crave for it…
March 26th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Did you use a small or big can of evaporated milk and what’s the amount of the whole milk you used for the recipe? Kindly specify. Thanks!
March 27th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
this is such a filipino classic, i won’t ever tire of eating it. your version looks perfect.
March 28th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I’ve made flan with cream and milk before, but have yet to try the more traditional canned condensed and evaporated milks. Your flan looks wonderful.
March 29th, 2008 at 12:14 am
I think my husband’s leche flan has serious competition in yours! Looks so rich, bad and sinful!
March 29th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
naku nami-miss ko na ang leche flan tuloy… that’s looks so yummy!
March 30th, 2008 at 2:58 am
Hi there!
We cook our leche flan steamed and not baked and it only take 45 mins to cook. Just wondering what’s the difference between the two methods.
Thanks and more power!
March 30th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
[...] Classic Leche Flan [...]
March 30th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Hi Rowena, I think monkfish would be great in sinigang! heck, I think anything is great in the sour soup
Hi tita Stel! thank you
Asi actually asked me to make some again but I told her to please give my arteries a chance to recover. hehe!
Hi NDB, sorry about that, I’ve edited the recipe to include the sizes of the canned milk.
March 30th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Dessie, Lalaine, Marvin and Iska, thank you
Hi Emer, no difference, really between the steaming and baking. The result is the same. I’ve also tried pressure cooking it (if you dare ;)) and it only takes 15 minutes when you do it this way. The baked method to me, is just easier because I don’t have a steamer big enough for two pans.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:29 am
This one looks perfect.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
I used Stel;s recipe she added philly cheese… really really delish. am still here in florida been too busy
April 4th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Hi Pook, thanks!
Hi Sha, oh that philly cream cheese addition sounds good. I’ll have to try that one out.
April 6th, 2008 at 12:30 am
I am looking forward to trying out your recipe. I have always made creme caramel which shares similarities of leche flan but doesn’t share the same richness. There is nothing quite like a leche flan to satisfy a sweet tooth such as mine.
August 2nd, 2008 at 11:51 am
hello po! ask ko lang if ever i don’t have the oven, how can i cook it into a stove?
thank you po!
August 2nd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Hi Angie, kung wala kang oven, pwede mong i-steam. All you have to do is get a large pot than your leche flan container. Put a rack or a can or another pan into the pot and fill it with water up to near the top of the rack.
Put your leche flan pan that has been covered with foil on top of the pan, making sure the water level is not touching the bottom of your leche flan pan. Cover and bring to a slow boil. Depending on the size and depth of the pan you’re using for your leche flan, cook if for 30 minutes to an hour, or until the flan is set.
That’s it! Hope it comes out well for you.
October 12th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Wow, that looks delicious!
January 26th, 2009 at 3:05 am
How can you tell if the flan is truly set? I made mine using mini molds made of pyrex glass so they could be individual servings. Does this change the baking time?
January 26th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Hi Anon, you can tell the flan is set by jiggling it. The center should move slightly but not too loosely. When it looks firm, then your flan is set and ready to be taken out. If you’re still not sure, insert a butter knife in the center to feel if the flan is set to your liking.
If you’re making your flan in individual containers, the cooking time will be shorter. Check halfway through the baking time to see if they are done. If not, then check every 10 minutes after that.
Hope that helps
February 18th, 2009 at 7:35 am
[...] I’d like to acknowledge “Flan Masters” JMom and Pinoy Food Blog whose leche flan recipes I took inspiration from in coming up with my own [...]
April 15th, 2010 at 5:49 am
my fave dessert
June 2nd, 2010 at 11:22 am
Hi… I came across your recipe, tried it and loved it! However, my family members think it’s a little too sweet. I cut all the measurements in half (because I was only going to make a small serving) but it still turned out too cloyingly sweet. Any suggestions?
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Hi Maria, I am glad you tried the recipe. To cut down on the sweetness, try using only half of the condensed milk since that is the main source of sugar and keep the rest of the ingredients the same proportion. You can also cut down on the number of eggs to cut down some of the richness.
when making your caramel syrup, you can also add more water to cut down on the concentration of sugar, making a lighter colored syrup.
Hope those tips help you.
My daughter is now the resident flan maker at our house and she changes her proportions all the time. Don’t be afraid to play with it.
June 3rd, 2010 at 10:20 am
Thanks JMom! I’ll take your tips.
It’s so sweet that your daughter is the resident flan-maker. We’re all learning every day.. Love your recipe!
July 18th, 2010 at 9:08 am
tried it, really yummy