Auntie Hong’s Flan

Ingredients:

For custard:

8 egg yolks

4 whole eggs

4 cups of whole milk (not reduced fat)

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup of sugar

For caramel:

6 Tbsp water

1 cup of sugar, for caramel

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 340F (320F and longer recommended with our oven)
2. In a sauce pan, heat the milk, sugar and vanilla extract until the sugar is dissolved. Do NOT bring the mixture to a boil. 
3. Whisk eggs in a bowl. 
4. Slowly pour the heated milk mixture into the egg bowl while slowly mixing/whisking. The milk should be warm (not hot) so as not to cook the eggs. 
5. In a sauce pan, combine water and sugar to make the caramel.  Heat on medium/high heat. DO NOT STIR otherwise sugars will crystallize and clump. 
6. When the sugar mixture becomes caramel, quickly pour into baking dish or ramekins to line the bottom. 
7. Pour custard mixture into baking dish or ramekins. Pour into a strainer to remove lumps if you like to ensure a very smooth flan. 
8. Place baking dish or ramekins into a water bath. 
9. Bake 40 mins for ramekins 55 mins for larger baking dish until toothpick comes out clean.  

Tips:

*Cut recipe in half and bake for a shorter time yields 6 ramekins. 

*Dont mix too hard. This adds air bubbles and causes a Swiss cheese technique.