Creamy Flan Recipe

My abuelo (grandfather) and I share a love for my mother's flan. I have fond memories of sitting around our kitchen table with grandpa and my mother, Blanca. We would eat, talk and celebrate our lives together. Since becoming a dietitian, I adapted her flan recipe by using lower-fat ingredients. The result is a creamy, velvety flan that is just as tasty!

Ingredients

1¾ cups sugar, divided
1 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
¾ cup fat-free (skim) milk
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon rum, optional

Directions

Before you begin: Wash your hands.

1. To caramelize the mold, heat ¾ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a small, heavy, flat-bottomed saucepan on medium-high heat until the syrup turns golden brown. Carefully remove from heat and quickly pour the caramel into a 1-quart flan mold or deep 8- or 9-inch round mold, tilting to evenly coat the bottom and about ½-inch up the sides. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (218°C).
3. Place the milk, eggs, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, salt and rum (if using) in a blender container. Cover and blend until mixed. Strain the mixture into the caramelized mold. Cover with foil, being careful to keep the foil off the liquid surface.
4. Place the mold in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Add hot water to the pan so it comes up to half the height of the mold.
5. Bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted 1 to 2 inches from the center comes out clean (the center will be wiggly and continue to cook out of the oven).
6. Carefully remove the mold from the water; loosen the foil to vent steam, but keep the flan covered. Cool 30 minutes to room temperature. Refrigerate until the flan is well chilled, preferably overnight.
7. To serve, run a thin knife around the mold edges to loosen. Holding the sides of the mold, gently shake in a circular motion back and forth to loosen the flan from the bottom. Place a serving platter, larger in diameter, over the mold. Holding both together, quickly and gently turn over the mold onto the platter. Allow melted caramel from the mold to bathe the flan.
8. Cut into 8 portions.

Cooking Notes:

• Substitute one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk for 1 cup sugar in the mix.
• Avoid under- or overcooking the caramel. A light caramel lacks flavor. Caramel continues to darken after removal from the heat.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ½ cup
Serves 8
Calories: 210; Total fat: 0g; Saturated fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 65mg; Total carbohydrate: 50g; Dietary fiber: 0g; Protein 4g