What exactly is flan?Flan, /FL-ah-N/ is a sweet egg custard-type dessert. It’s made with milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla. The ingredients are placed in a caramel lined pan, cooked in a water bath, then chilled to create a caramel laden treat which is flipped onto a plate for serving. Where does “flan” come from?The term flan is thought to evolve from the Latin word fladonem which became the old Castillian and old German term flado and the old English term flawn, meaning “flat” or “broad.” No, I meant where did it originate?It is believed to have come from the ancient Romans who raised domestic fowl and often experimented cooking with eggs. The first recording of a flan recipe was found in a highly-regarded Roman recipe collection, called Apicius, written in the late 4th or early 5th century A.D. and uses honey instead of sugar. Flan was brought to the new world by the Conquistadors and is now a standard dessert in most Latin American cultures.
The French version of flan is called crème caramel. Crème brulee is creme caramel but made made with cream instead of milk so it is a bit thicker and also tends to have a hard caramel topping instead of a soft caramel sauce. A simple flan is made with common ingredients—eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla or cinnamon for flavoring. These staple foods were typically found in most households regardless of income. As something a person could whip up with what they had, it quickly gained its place as a standard in many cultures. Today it still is a nice economical dessert for any family. It all depends on your palate and your cook. Good flan can be tough to make really well. The caramel can burn easily and make the whole dessert taste like charcoal. For some it can be too eggy, like eating scrambled eggs, for others it can be too grainy if the ingredients are not mixed well enough. Some enjoy thicker, richer versions while others prefer the lighter thinner kind. So you’ll just have to experiment to find out! There are vegan recipes using tofu instead of eggs, and soy, rice, or almond milk instead of cow’s milk. Whether it really qualifies as flan is up to you. There are sugar-free recipes that use sucralose and sugar-free caramel syrup. There are fat-free recipes that use egg beaters instead of eggs and skim milk. But is it really flan? Well, you’ll have to decide. For individual servings ramekins are generally used. For family size you would use a fluted pan like a tart pan, but a cake or bunt pan also works. A simple basic flan is not difficult to make, but it is a lesson in attention and patience. The main tricks are-- mix the ingredients well, avoid burning the caramel, keep an eye on flan in the oven so it doesn’t burn, and let it chill thoroughly before serving. Yes, see our recipe pages for some easy flan recipes. Then sign-up for our mailing list and we’ll send you a new recipe about once a month.
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