A waiter in a Mexican restaurant may offer you a traditional dessert at the end of the meal: a creamy flan, which is usually prepared as a caramel custard treat. At a restaurant across town, you may be offered a creamy slice of cheesecake. If you were to combine the two dishes, the result would be very similar to a cheese flan. It takes a little effort to put together this treat, but your first bite will tell you that it was well worth the time.
Instructions
1. Dissolve 1 1/2 cups sugar in 1/2 cup water over low heat. Boil the mixture once the sugar has dissolved until it turns into a brownish-color syrup. Pour the syrup into a 7- or 8-inch flan pan or pie pan, coating the sides of the pan as well as the bottom. Allow the syrup to cool.
2. Place 8 oz. cream cheese in a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Add 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk and 6 eggs, and mix until smooth. Blend in 1 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup water, then mix thoroughly.
3. Fill the flan or pie pan with the custard mixture. Then place this pan into a larger pan, allowing at least 1 inch of space around all sides of the smaller pan. Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan until you reach a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Do not let the water seep into the pie pan.
4. Place both pans in an oven heated to 350 F. Bake for approximately 1 hour. Insert a fork into the flan to test for doneness; if no batter sticks to the fork, the flan is done. Carefully remove both pans from the oven, and take the flan pan out of the water bath. Let it cool thoroughly, then refrigerate the flan, as it is best served the following day.
5. Remove the flan from its pan by inverting it over a serving dish; loosening the flan with a knife before trying to remove it from the pan may be helpful. If most of the syrup stays in the pan, spoon a bit of syrup onto each piece of flan after you cut it.
Tags: both pans, flan with, into larger