With the rush of the holiday season, my blog seems to take a hit at the end of each year and gets forgotten for a little bit. I promise you it's for a good reason though. It was to spend quality time with my family.
Some of the extended family, my mom, and I from San Diego had an chance to visit my aunt who lives in Nashville and meet up with my uncle who came up from Alabama to celebrate a southern Thanksgiving. We flew in on Thanksgiving Day...which made me wonder, when two of the family cooks and two of the family bakers (one being myself) were flying in at 2PM in the afternoon, who was going to cook?!
 |
| The generation of amazing cooks/palettes I keep talking about in my stories...plus all their first borns. I'm waiting for the day they make us cook/bake the holiday meals! |
My aunt Sherri and uncle Ronnie did a fantastic job starting the meal and my mom and uncle Rod jumped right in to help. One of the first things my uncle Ronnie said to me when I got there was, "I made something just for you."
 |
Giving thanks for the spread.
|
It's rare not to have a flan at one of our family parties or holidays. Filipino flan is much sweeter than Mexican flan...a custard dessert made with tons of egg yolks, condensed milk, and dark brown sugar syrup....usually one of the holiday dishes I can't sneak onto my plate. BUT....my uncle had made me a no sugar added leche flan! I cannot even express how excited I was. As a spooned the flan into my eager mouth and my already too full tummy....my uncle kept telling me he hoped his recipe would make it onto my blog. So here it is!
Leche Flan (reduced sugar)
10 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar substitute
2 cans of evaporated milk
pinch of lime zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
agave syrup (enough to coat the bottom of your baking dish)
Coat the bottom of the baking dish with agave nectar then refrigerate for about half an hour.
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl then slowly stir with a whisk without pulling out the whisk to avoid creating bubbles.
Strain the egg mixture.
Slowly pour egg mixture into the baking dish. Bake on a water bath for about 30 to 45 minutes. Loosely cover the top of the baking dish with aluminum foil to avoid browning the top of the flan. You can use a toothpick test to make sure the flan is set and fully cooked.
Cool then flip onto a serving plate. Set in the fridge until ready to serve.
*Sueshine Notes: I know I said my uncle's recipe was no sugar added but I added a sugar substitute to make up for the lack of condensed milk which gives the texture and sweetness of a traditional flan.
It seems the traditional shape of Filipino flan is oval. I purchased an oval baking dish about 2 inches deep x 9 inches long. This recipe filled the dish plus 3 small ramekins.
 |
| Left: 10 egg yolks (okay so I broke one while separating them. Don't worry, breaking them doesnt make a difference) Right: Ramekin dishes in a water bath. Tip: Place the water bath dish on the rack first then add the water.
I'll be honest with you. This was my first time making flan and I was afraid that it would go terribly wrong. I guess my family genes kicked in since the flan turned out perfectly. The texture was smooth and creamy with no air bubbles and the sweetness was just like the traditional sugar-laden version. I haven't been this excited about baking in awhile and I literally did a happy dance in my kitchen. I had made one of my family's traditional dishes AND I could actually eat it! I suppose the real test will be when I bring it to the next family gathering and see what everyone says (It's a tough crowd!) For now, I happily sit and enjoy every bite...for myself :)
|
