Flan Filling Recipes

FRESH FRUIT FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10-by-15 inch jelly roll pan.
• For the crust, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, cream together white and confectioners' sugars, butter, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients. Blend well. Spread the dough evenly on the bottom of the greased pan. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• For the filling, cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread over the cooled crust. Arrange the fruit on the cream cheese filling and refrigerate.
• For the glaze, mix together the sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Whisk in the water, orange juice, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil gently for one minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
• Spoon or brush the glaze evenly over the fruit. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

FLAN PâTISSIER (FRENCH CUSTARD TART)

Steps:

• Infuse milk: Place milk, vanilla seeds, used beans and 50g (1/4 cup) sugar in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to just before boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, place lid on and leave to steep for 10 minutes.
• Yolk mixture: Meanwhile, place egg yolks, egg and remaining sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add cornflour and whisk until smooth.
• Temper eggs: While whisking the eggs, slowly pour in about half the milk in a thin stream. Whisk until combined.
• Thicken custard: Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan then whisk to combine. Place over medium low heat, stirring constantly so the base doesn't catch, until it starts to thicken (you will feel it). It should happen within 3 to 5 minutes. If it gets lumpy, remove off heat, whisk vigorously - will become smooth.
• Stir 20 seconds after bubbles appear: When the custard is thickened and hot and you see the first big lazy bubbles appear on the base, whisk constantly on the stove for a further 20 seconds then remove from stove. (To check for bubbles, pause stirring for a few seconds)
• Butter: Whisk butter in until fully incorporated.
• Strain & cool: Immediately strain into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Discard vanilla bean. Cover with cling wrap touching the surface. Cool on counter (3 hrs+) then refrigerate 12 - 24 hours. (Note 5)
• Work with pastry as frozen as possible - it's easier. (Note 4)
• Cut base and sides: Cut base out using the inside of the pan as a guide on one sheet of puff pastry. Cut three 25 x 5.5cm (2.15 x 10″) wide strips on the other sheet of puff pastry. Place base and sides back in freezer. RESERVE offcuts (for emergency patching).
• Line pan: Butter and line the sides of a 20cm/8" springform pan with a 5.5cm / 2.2" strip of baking paper. We are not using the pan base. (Note 6)
• Line sides: Place cake pan on a square sheet of baking paper on a plate. (Note 6) Remove cut puff pastry from freezer. Working quickly, when sides have JUST thawed enough to bend, line sides of cake pan with puff pastry, overlapping by 1cm / 0.4", using water to seal - just press down for now (will seal properly later).
• Base: Brush base of sides with water. Fit base into cake pan (see video at 2 min 50 sec for technique).
• Seal pastry: Use the back of a teaspoon to press base into the corner. Then smear the now-thawing puff pastry to full seal.
• Prick base: Prick base 30 times with fork. (I always forget!!)
• Freeze: Cover with cling wrap, freeze 4 - 24 hours. (Note 4)
• Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan) for 30 minutes.
• Line & fill with beads: Pick up crust using paper and place on tray (on the paper). Crumple 2 x 60cm / 2 feet long sheets of baking paper (Note 7) then fit into crust arranged in X. Fill with baking beads 1cm / 0.4" below rim (Note 8). Press to push paper into corners.
• Blind bake 25 min + 5 min: Bake 25 minutes, then use overhang paper to remove beads carefully (if sides look like they will cave in, return to oven with beads for 5 min). Bake 5 minutes then cool 10 minutes. (Seal any visible cracks with puff pastry scraps)
• Turn oven down to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
• Fill with custard: Remove Creme Patissiere from fridge. Whisk to loosen, scrape into crust - fill to 1cm/0.4" below rim. (Leftover custard Note 7) Smooth surface, brush custard surface with egg yolk (use it all).
• Bake 65 minutes, rotating tray 180° at 45 minutes. It will puff up in the last 15 ninutes like a souffle. Remove from oven - it will still be very wobbly, have faith! It will set when cool!Golden surface - If the top is not golden like pictured, switch on broiler to caramelise surface. Watch carefully - takes minutes!
• Cool on counter for 4 hours (in pan). Transfer to plate (still in pan), cover loosely with cling wrap, then refrigerate 12+ hours.
• Serve: Remove from fridge 1 hour prior to serving to bring to room temperature. Cut into slices like cake! The pastry is crispy & flaky. The custard will cut neatly (it will not ooze) but when you bite into it, the custard is beautifully soft and creamy. Traditionally eaten as a hand held bakery treat in France but you can use a plate if you're feeling civilised!
• Shelf life: Flan Pâtissier is at its best in the first 24 hours after it is put in the fridge after baking as this is when the pastry is still beautifully crisp. Beyond this the pastry starts to soften which no one has pointed out yet because everyone is besotted by the custard! But I notice. :)

EASY FLAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pour the sugar into a skillet over medium heat. Stir the sugar continually until it begins to brown and clump together. Keep stirring until the sugar completely melts and dissolves into a golden-brown syrup. Remove the syrup from the heat as soon as it has dissolves as it can burn.
• Working quickly, carefully pour the caramel into a 7-inch round pan or a special flan pan (flanera) as shown in the photos in the blog post. Pour the caramel evenly into the bottom of the pan so the entire bottom is coated. If you need to, use an oven mitt or potholders to move the pan from side to side to get the caramel evenly distributed. If the caramel hardens too quickly, you can carefully reheat the pan by placing it directly on the stove or on the skillet for a few seconds.
• Set the caramel-coated pan aside to cool and harden.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk and vanilla extract. Whisk together until everything is fully combined, but try not to overwhisk so that there aren't too many air bubbles in the mixture.
• Pour the custard mixture into the caramel-coated pan. Cover the top of the pan with the lid (if using a flanera) or tightly with aluminum foil.
• Place the flan pan in a large baking dish and pour enough water in the dish until it reaches about halfway up the pan. Carefully place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove the dish from the oven, and then lift the flan pan out of the water bath. Remove the lid or aluminum foil and let it cool to room temperature. The flan may still be a little jiggly, but that's okay - it will continue to cook with the residual heat.
• Once it's cooled, cover with the lid or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• To serve, remove the lid or aluminum foil and slide a knife along the edges of the pan to loosen it up. Place a plate or platter on top of the flan, grab a hold of both the plate and the pan and quickly and securely flip it over so that the flan is now upside down. Carefully lift off the flan pan. Your flan should be sitting in the caramel on the plate, ready to enjoy!
• Carefully lift the flan pan up. The flan should be on the plate - if it's not, place the pan back down and let it sit for a few minutes. Don't freak out! It will loosen up and slide out. You could try tapping the sides of the pan a bit or even giving the sides a squeeze.
• Slice the flan and serve with the rich caramel sauce!

SPANISH FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a 9 inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely.
• To serve, carefully invert on serving plate with edges when completely cool.