I love to toil over desserts. I bake for family, friends, coworkers, and I will make elaborate things. But this is called cheater's flan for a reason. I cut every corner there is. Did I burn the @&#$#& out of my hand making it for this post? Yes. Yes I did. But don't be too proud and think you can touch caramel. This is real life, guys. Do not touch caramel.
In fact, making caramel is the only thing that requires any thinking in this whole recipe.
You'll need:
- 5 eggs
- 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 1 can (14 oz) condensed milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 c sugar
I recommend blending the flan up before you make the caramel (which, I repeat, you should not touch). Then you're ready to go once you spread the caramel in the pan. In fact, get your pan ready - I used a 7 inch flan pan, but any pan will do. Cheesecake springform pan? Sure. Creme brulee pan? Sure. I recommend something without ridges, so it's easier to get out of the pan. But that's my only caveat. A smooth pie pan? Who's judging?
Yes. I blend the flan. It's lazy and it works. If you have a liquid blender like a Ninja - blend that sh*t. If you don't? Use a whisk. Are you crazy?? Blend the eggs first until smooth, then add the canned milks and vanilla and blend it more. This is the custard base.
I recommend a water bath for flan, so the top isn't all crackly. Put about 2 cups of water into a measuring cup and microwave it until it's almost boiling. Then put it into a pan that's larger than the one you'll be baking it in - I used an 8x8 square pan. This will also keep the caramel from seizing when you pour it in.
Then start on the caramel. Put the sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Do not put it any higher than medium or it will cook wayy too fast once it starts. If you have never made candy, you're in for a treat. It's science. It's magic. It's sorcery. First you have sugar. Then you have chunky sugar. Then you have caramel. Stir with a wooden spoon only as much as you need to so that it starts to melt. Once it's liquid, swirl the pan instead of stirring - you don't want to mix any oxygen in or it'll get hard. You'll see it turn a dark caramel color - take it off the heat and pour into your flan pan, then tilt the pan so it coats the bottom and up the sides.
Pour the custard mixture in, and cover tightly with aluminum foil (flan pans have a cover that should latch on, if you're using that). Bake at 350 for about an hour or a little more. You can take the foil/cover off and wiggle the pan - it might show some give, but if you touch it, it will have that custard texture. And it won't look wet or raw. Then set it out for about an hour or two, and move it to the fridge once it's set for a while, and cool completely in the refrigerator.
When it's time to serve it, run some warm water over the pan, run a knife along the sides, and flip onto a serving plate.
Now, all that's left to do is tell everyone it took hours to make and the recipe is too complicated to share!
Mix it up:
- Try something besides vanilla extract - like maple or coconut - or mix in the zest of an orange for a citrus twist
- Use 3 or 4 eggs for a softer texture, or 6 or 7 for a firmer one
Cheater's Flan
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 1 can (14 oz) condensed milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 c sugar
Instructions
- I recommend blending the flan up before you make the caramel (which, I repeat, you should not touch). Then you're ready to go once you spread the caramel in the pan. In fact, get your pan ready - I used a 7 inch flan pan, but any pan will do. Cheesecake springform pan? Sure. Creme brulee pan? Sure. I recommend something without ridges, so it's easier to get out of the pan. But that's my only caveat. A smooth pie pan? Who's judging?
- Yes. I blend the flan. It's lazy and it works. If you have a liquid blender like a Ninja - blend that sh*t. If you don't? Use a whisk. Are you crazy?? Blend the eggs first until smooth, then add the canned milks and vanilla and blend it more. This is the custard base.
- I recommend a water bath for flan, so the top isn't all crackly. Put about 2 cups of water into a measuring cup and microwave it until it's almost boiling. Then put it into a pan that's larger than the one you'll be baking it in - I used an 8x8 square pan. This will also keep the caramel from seizing when you pour it in.
- Then start on the caramel. Put the sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Do not put it any higher than medium or it will cook wayy too fast once it starts. If you have never made candy, you're in for a treat. It's science. It's magic. It's sorcery. First you have sugar. Then you have chunky sugar. Then you have caramel. Stir with a wooden spoon only as much as you need to so that it starts to melt. Once it's liquid, swirl the pan instead of stirring - you don't want to mix any oxygen in or it'll get hard. You'll see it turn a dark caramel color - take it off the heat and pour into your flan pan, then tilt the pan so it coats the bottom and up the sides.
- Pour the custard mixture in, and cover tightly with aluminum foil (flan pans have a cover that should latch on, if you're using that). Bake at 350 for about an hour or a little more. You can take the foil/cover off and wiggle the pan - it might show some give, but if you touch it, it will have that custard texture. And it won't look wet or raw. Then set it out for about an hour or two, and move it to the fridge once it's set for a while, and cool completely in the refrigerator.
- When it's time to serve it, run some warm water over the pan, run a knife along the sides, and flip onto a serving plate.