Quesillo Canario: Canarian Style Flan

Method10 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (about 177°C). Lightly coat a flan pan or baking mold with butter and set it aside.

   Uses Butter, just enough to coat the flan mold

2. 2

   Step 2: Combine the caramel’s ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Stir until dissolved, then stop stirring. Bring to a boil and watch until the caramel is rich golden brown, taking it off the heat before it burns.

   Uses ½ cup granulated sugar, for caramel · ¼ cup water, for caramel

3. 3

   Step 3: Immediately pour all the hot caramel into the buttered mold. Carefully turn the mold to coat its base and sides before the caramel hardens.

   Uses Buttered flan mold · Hot caramel

4. 4

   Step 4: Beat all 6 eggs in a bowl. Whisk in all the condensed milk (2 cups) and vanilla (1 tsp) until combined, then beat in all the whole milk (2 cups) and lemon zest.

   Uses 6 large eggs · 2 cups condensed milk · 1 tsp vanilla extract · 2 cups whole milk · Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

5. 5

   Step 5: Pour all the egg-milk custard into the caramel-lined mold. Set it in a large roasting pan and carefully add boiling water to the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the outside of the mold. Keep water out of the custard.

   Uses Caramel-lined buttered mold · Mixed egg-milk custard · Boiling water, enough to reach halfway up the flan mold

6. 6

   Step 6: Bake in the water bath at 350°F (about 177°C) for about 35–50 minutes. Begin checking at 35 minutes and check frequently after that: remove it once just set, with a center toothpick coming out clean and an internal temperature of 175°F (79°C) in its deepest part.

   Bake Canarian flan · 35 minUses Filled flan mold in its hot-water bath

7. 7

   Step 7: Carefully lift the baked flan out of the water bath and begin cooling it on a rack. Refrigerate within 2 hours of leaving the oven, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C/90°F, allowing it to finish cooling in the refrigerator.

   Uses Baked flan lifted out of its water bath

8. 8

   Step 8: Once completely cool, cover the mold and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the flan is fully cold and set.

   Chill Canarian flan · 240 minUses Cooling Canarian flan

9. 9

   Step 9: Run a knife around the cold flan’s edge. Place a serving plate over the mold, hold it firmly and invert, then carefully lift off the mold to release the flan and its caramel sauce.

   Uses Fully chilled Canarian flan

10. 10

    Step 10: Divide into eight portions and serve with the caramel sauce released from the mold. Add the optional ready whipped cream, mint or extra ready caramel sauce if desired.

    Uses Unmolded Canarian flan and caramel sauce · Ready whipped cream, to serve (optional) · Mint, washed and dried, to garnish (optional) · Extra ready caramel sauce, to serve (optional)