espresso flan

This is a simple and delicious recipe for flan with a hint of espresso flavor.

Equipment: small (1-1/2 quart) casserole dish, larger casserole which small one fits into with plenty of room around it, whisk, large saucepan, pastry brush, cup of water, tea kettle


Ingredients:

• 1 can evaporated milk
• 5 whole eggs
• 3/4 cup demerara sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. ground espresso beans
• 1/2 tsp. salt

-and for the caramel

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. water

Directions:

• Put 1 cup sugar and 3 Tbsp. water in saucepan on medium heat. Leave it mostly alone, don't stir, occasionally drag some of the melting sugar from the outside edges in. Painting the sides (with pastry brush) with some water helps avoid a lot of sticking to sides. Simmer until sugar is melted and golden brown. Viola. Caramel.
• Immediately pour caramel into bottom of casserole and swirl it around so it coats entire bottom and most of the sides. Allow to cool and harden completely. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Fill tea kettle with water and heat it up.
• Prepare your custard: whisk together evap. milk, eggs, demerara sugar, vanilla, espresso grounds and salt.
• Pour custard onto cooled caramel in casserole.
• Place small casserole into larger casserole and using your teakettle, fill larger casserole with hot water until it comes 3/4 up the height of the flan. I like to do this with my casseroles in the oven already as it prevents having to carry the dish of hot water.
• Cook at 350 for 1/2 hours.
• Refrigerate at least 4 hours. I like this as a day ahead recipe.
• About an hour before service, remove from fridge and flip casserole upside down onto serving plate. It may take a small while to release onto plate. You can carefully run a knife along edges to help it along. When it releases, the caramel will ooze out over the flan, creating that pretty syrupy topping.

-helpful tip: cleaning your caramel-coated saucepan is easy if you just fill it with water and heat it back up on the stovetop.

XO, Debbie