Maple Flan Recipes

MAPLE FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bring 1 cup maple syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 2/3 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool just until foam subsides. Pour into an 8-inch round cake pan, tilting pan to evenly coat bottom and sides to rim. Place cake pan in center of a roasting pan.
• Gently whisk together eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, salt, and remaining 3/4 cup syrup in a bowl. Skim off and discard any foam from surface. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into cake pan. Pour enough scalding-hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
• Bake until flan is set along edges but still very wobbly in center, 50 to 60 minutes. (Flan will continue to set as it cools.) Carefully remove pan from hot-water bath and place on a wire rack; let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours.
• When ready to serve, run a thin-bladed knife between flan and sides of pan to loosen. Place a rimmed plate or platter upside down over pan, then hold onto pan and plate and quickly invert together. Carefully lift pan, tapping on bottom if necessary to release flan. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

MAPLE LECHE FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325ºF. Place 6 ramekins in a large casserole or deep baking dish.
• In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup of sugar with water over high. Without agitating, let mixture come to a boil and cook until deep golden and fragrant, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 3 Tbsp maple syrup. Immediately divide hot caramel among prepared ramekins.
• In a medium saucepan, heat milk over medium. Bring to a simmer but do not boil; remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, add egg yolks and mix in remaining ¼ cup sugar, 4 Tbsp maple syrup, and salt. In a slow, thin stream, stir warm milk into yolk mixture. Stir to combine then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large clean bowl, preferably with a pour spout (a heatproof blender container also works). Divide mixture among ramekins. Fill kettle with water and bring to a boil.
• To baking dish, carefully pour recently boiling water around the ramekins until half the ramekin is immersed, being sure to avoid splashing custard with water. Gently transfer to oven and bake until flan is set, about 35 minutes.
• Using tongs and a kitchen towel to protect hands, remove ramekins from baking dish and place on a cooling rack or clean baking sheet. Cool slightly, then refrigerate custards until fully set and chilled, about 3 hours.
• Upon serving, run a sharp knife around the periphery of the custard to separate from ramekin. Flip onto plate, remove ramekin and serve.

PUMPKIN FLAN WITH MAPLE CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the caramel, combine the sugar, maple syrup, and 1/3 cup water in a small, deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil, swirling the pan (don't stir!) to dissolve the sugar. Cook at a low boil without stirring for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture turns a golden brown and registers 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn! Off the heat, swirl in the fleur de sel, and immediately pour into an 8-by-2-inch round cake pan (not a springform!). Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, canned pumpkin, and mascarpone in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, maple extract, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gently pour the pumpkin mixture into the pan with the caramel so they don't combine.
• Place the pan in a roasting pan large enough to hold the cake pan flat and fill the roasting pan with enough of the hottest tap water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 70 to 75 minutes, until the custard is just set. It will be firm but still jiggle slightly in the middle; a knife inserted into the center of the flan will come out clean. Remove the flan from the water bath, place on a cooling rack, and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Don't tilt the pan or the caramel will run out!
• Run a small knife around the edge of the flan. Turn a flat serving plate with a slight lip over the cake pan and flip them, turning the flan out onto the plate. The caramel should run out over the flan. Cut into wedges and serve with the caramel spooned over each slice.

CLASSIC FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a small bowl of cold water and a pastry brush near the stove top. Place a 9-inch cake pan in a large roasting pan. Bring a large kettle or pot of water to a boil.
• Make the caramel: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, mix sugar and 3 tablespoons water, stirring to combine. Do not stir again. Cook, washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, or cover with a tight-fitting lid, to prevent crystals from forming, until caramel is amber, about 8 minutes, swirling pan to color evenly. Pour into cake pan, swirling to coat bottom evenly.
• Make the custard: In a small saucepan, heat milk with 1/2 cup sugar over medium just until mixture starts to steam and bubble around the edges, 5 to 6 minutes (do not let it boil).
• Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add ladle of hot milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. (This is called tempering, and it prevents the eggs from curdling.) Add two more ladles of milk mixture, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Gradually whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup or a bowl (to remove any cooked bits of egg). Stir in vanilla.
• Pour custard into cake pan. Place roasting pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to pan to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until custard is just set (it should tremble slightly in center when shaken), about 50 minutes.
• Remove roasting pan from oven. Use tongs to carefully remove pan from hot-water bath and place on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours (or up to 3 days). To unmold, run a sharp knife around the flan, and place a rimmed serving plate upside down over the top. Invert, and gently lift pan to remove. Serve immediately.

MAPLE CRèME FLAN WITH MAPLE-GLAZED PEARS

Steps:

• For flan:
• Simmer maple syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Stir in cream; return to simmer.
• Whisk egg yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Whisk in salt. Strain custard into another large bowl. Cover and chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Stir sugar, 1/4 cup water, and light corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 6 minutes. Pour syrup into 9 1/4x5 1/4x3-inch nonstick metal loaf pan, tilting pan carefully to coat sides. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Pour custard into pan with syrup. Place loaf pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of loaf pan. Cover roasting pan with foil. Pierce foil all over with fork. Bake flan 1 hour 45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 325°F. Uncover and bake until flan is set around edges but center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour longer. Remove flan from water. Transfer to rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• For pears:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange pears, 1 cut side down, in skillet. Cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Turn onto second cut side and cook until brown, about 4 minutes longer. Stir in maple syrup; bring to boil. Place in oven and bake until pears are tender, about 25 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate. Whisk crème fraîche and salt into sauce in skillet. Return pears to skillet and toss to coat.
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• Run sharp knife around edge of flan to loosen. Invert flan onto platter. Surround with pears and sauce.

MAPLE FLAN IN A WALNUT CRUST

Steps:

• 1. To prepare the flan, place the maple syrup in a large, heavy saucepan. Set it over low heat and let simmer until the syrup is reduced by a quarter (to 3/4 cup), 15 to 20 minutes.
• 2. Add the cream to the syrup and stir until mixture is smooth and comes back to a simmer.
• 3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add a little of the hot maple cream into the eggs to warm them, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from curdling. Pour the mixture into the saucepan, whisking the cream constantly. Strain the mixture into a bowl, stir in the salt, and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
• 4. Preheat oven to 300°F. Place 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the sugar and corn syrup. Raise the heat to high and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture becomes a dark amber caramel, 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately pour the caramel into an 8-inch round nonstick cake pan, tilting to make sure the sides are well coated. Work quickly so the caramel doesn't harden. If it does, rewarm it over low heat.
• 5. Pour the maple custard into the caramel-coated cake pan. Place it in a baking pan and carefully move it to the oven rack. Pour enough very hot water into the baking pan to reach two thirds of the way up the side of the cake pan. Cover the baking pan with foil and prick all over with a fork. Bake the flan for about 1 hour, then lift off a corner of the foil to vent the steam. Re-cover the pan and continue to bake until the flan is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 45 minutes longer. Remove the flan from the baking pan and transfer to a rack. Let cool at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
• 6. To prepare the walnut crust, preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven, stirring once or twice, until they smell nutty, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
• 7. Using a food processor, pulse the walnuts until they are finely ground, then reserve. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, walnuts, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Mix until the dough just holds together. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a disk. Wrap it and chill for at least 1 hour, until firm.
• 8. Preheat oven to 325°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick into a 12-inch round. Fit the dough into a 9-inch quiche pan. Trim away any excess dough, then use a fork to prick the crust all over. Bake the tart crust until it's pale golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. (The tart shell can be made 8 hours ahead and kept at room temperature or frozen.)
• 9. To unmold the flan, run a small knife around the sides of the cake pan, then invert the flan into the baked tart shell. Serve with whipped crème fraîche, if desired.
• Variation
• For individual flans without crust, divide the caramel and then the maple custard evenly among eight 4-ounce glass or ceramic ramekins. Bake as directed for 1 hour and 30 minutes, venting the steam after 45 minutes.