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Monday, July 18, 2011

Flan is Crème Brûlée's latin cousin - flan is a kissin' cousin

my basket of freshly picked salad greens that has nothing to do with flan
Okie dokie folksy wolksies its time for another installment of "this ol' blog" let me see where did we last leave off? Oh I know our hero - me - was extolling those things I extoll about - I mean those things he extolls about (this speaking in third person is tough). My dreams do come true, life is good and everyone is living happily ever after - there the whole thing in a nut-shell. So with all that little hub bub out of the way lets talk flan.

coconut flan with coconut milk
Egg custards of any kind are probably my most favorite desserts and if you know me its probably because it has egg in it, I like eggs, eggs like me, eggs and I have a symbiotic relationship.

coconut flan with coconut milk and coconut whipped cream
Ok lets make some flan and to do that you need a recipe and as much as I despise recipes I am finding that they are important tools of communication between those of us that can cook and those of us that cant. Let me clarify this - some people (me) think outside of the box instinctively so recipes are simply suggestions or guidelines and other people (not me) like to follow the guidelines to a T(ee) because thinking outside of the box makes them nervous, then there are other people (you know who you are)  that realize the vulnerable ones are out there and they want to cash in on it so they make easy to follow apps and what nots to teach people things they themselves are not really qualified to be teaching and this whole vicious scenario gets played out all day long on every social media sight that exists - including right here at ChezWhat? - damn I like to rant...lets just make some flan.

coconut flan with coconut whipped cream

Coconut Flan

7 eggs
1 can of coconut milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups of sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325F.  Melt one cup of sugar in a sauce pan until amber in color then pour it into the bottom of one glass 9x13 baking pan. Mix milks and eggs in a stand mixer until light then add sugar and vanilla and mix for one minute. Pour mixture into baking pan and bake in a water bath (bain marie) for 45 -55 minutes or until it begins to set, remove from oven and as it cools it will continue to set. When it is cool to the touch refrigerate for 4 hours or over night. Cut and serve with coconut whipped cream and pour some of the sugar syrup that collects in the bottom of the pan.

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons coconut powder (you can find it in asian supermarkets)

Whip the cream with the sugar and coconut until stiff peaks form - put in a piping bag and serve.

Once you have had this simple flan - no other flan will do, oh and for an added treat spoon over a little coconut milk as well as the syrup and you will be in flan heaven.

28 comments:

Maureen said...

I have never had coconut flan but that's not going to be a statement I can say for long. This looks sensational. I too, love anything custardy.

Tina @flourtrader said...

This tells me not to make a decision based on a name. Even though creme brulee does sound much better than flan. Perhaps I do need to compare both. Your coconut flan does look tempting.

vanillasugarblog said...

very nice Dog. I love a good flan. And this looks like it was made well.

janet@cupcakestocaviar said...

I adore flan and love the addition of coconut milk. On another note, if you and eggs are symbiotic, are you the yolk or the white???

J said...

Awesome idea, Christo! I will try that next time I make flan!

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Buzzed your stunning dessert! Huge fan of custards myself~

Jeannie said...

Looks delicious, perhaps you could state the weight of the ingredients? 1 can = 400ml? Also is condensed milk same as evaporated milk? Thanks!

Velva said...

I grew up eating flan and next to fruit crumbles/pies..flan is my next favorite. Love the creamy custard texture. Delicious.

Velva

Kelly | Eat Yourself Skinny said...

What a gorgeous dessert and I love your title!! Great recipe! :)

Lilly said...

What a great flan recipe! Love the addition of the coconut.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Creme brulee is my husband's favorite dessert to make for dinner parties. We like to let our guests "flame" their own, but only if they haven't had too much wine. LOL

Have never made flan, but I look forward to giving yours a try. Love, love, love the first photo of the greens in the bicycle basket. Great shot Christo.
Sam

Kate said...

Gorgeous! My family LOVES flan but I've never attempted it. "Kissing Cousins" made me laugh. Awesome site. :)

snugs said...

you are just a hot mess!

Marjie said...

I've had flan in Mexican restaurants, and love it. You know I love custards. I could probably do flan, but I've never tried.

Doc said...

CUstards are a favorite and I love anything coconut. Well done, I hope you are happy you spoiled ny diet!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I see a flan in my future - a coconut flan. I remember reading Mitchener's book "Iberia" decades ago where he talked about a "Pyjama" dessert in Spain - made using flan as the base and crumbling a kind of soft torrone on top. I became obsessed with it back then and now I will be obsessed with this coconut flan.

Anonymous said...

Flan with coconut milk sure sounds good, a very pretty last pic with the coconut cream on top too!

mely said...

I like when you do your ranting. :)I kind of relate.
It is Ok to vent.
A recipe from you, this is worth keeping not very often do we have this indulge from you.

Just keep doing what you do Christo.

Best wishes for a great steamy Summer.

Mely

Juliana said...

I love flan...but never had coconut flan...yours look delicious specially paired with the coconut whipped cream.
Hope you are having a fantastic week :-)

Jill said...

Eat it with Rip Van Winkle 12 year

Kim Bee said...

New follower. You had me laughing so had to leave a comment and say thanks. I hate following recipes. Since blogging I get migraines from trying to remember how I make things. I am also very curious about this app thing, not an app person. Not dialed in to the tech world at all. This recipe looks inviting but I have never made nor tried flan. I've tried poi, does that count as flan?

Unknown said...

The flan looks great.

Anonymous said...

Being one of those special challenged folks who love you even when/especially when you rant - you mean that one c of sugar in the pan and 1 c sugar mixed in together? When you pour the mix in the pan then the amber sugar is still there and the mix is added to it?
Sorry to be a pain but it sounds sooo good and I'd like to try to make it. Love ya?

Christo Gonzales said...

yes - one cup goes in the mix and one cup gets melted and poured in the bottom of the baking dish before the mix is poured in - this is what makes the golden flan syrup

Lori Lynn said...

Love the bike basket shot.
LL

Jamie said...

We love cream desserts and I make a great Far Breton (flan from Brittany). I had a friend from Guatamala who would make a fabulous coconut caramel flan like this... and I have the recipe but have never made it! Yours is luscious and inspiring!

Vickie said...

Coconut whipped cream sounds absolutely dreamy! And I am really lusting for that retro bike basket. What a cool photo, Christo!

Diana H said...

You are an egg-o maniac. This looks like a great recipe o try with eggs, and right now I have plenty, so I think you for the suggestion.

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