CARAMELIZED WHITE CHOCOLATE FLAN WITH CARAMELIZED CORNFLAKES

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The one thing that dessert enthusiasts can tell you is that milk is essential. Dairy or non-dairy like almond milk, coconut or oat milk, a couple of glasses ease, neutralizes and enhances a baker’s confectionery.

Even when it is not easily caught as in baked desserts like cakes, it is a necessary ingredient for texture, taste and balance.

And wallas! There are dessert presentations whose primary ingredient is milk incorporated in its various forms. This is observed in desserts like; cream brulee, custards, parfaits, ice creams, panna cotta, milk cups and a delicate slow-baked Caramelized white chocolate flan with caramelized cornflakes, among others.

What is Flan?

Flan is a slow-baked, sweetened, flavoured milk mixed with eggs and baked in a pan, immersed in steaming water.

In simpler terms, it’s a slow-baked custard or a version of unscorched Cream Brulee. It was initially observed in Central America before gaining popularity in other regions.

Flan can be flavoured with chocolate, cinnamon, caramel and so on. The essential ingredients for a flan with Caramelized white chocolate being added ingredient in this recipe are:

1. Granulated Sugar. Sugar is used in the flan base to make a wet caramel, which is poured and hardened at the bottom of the baking pan before topping with a milk and yolk mixture.
2. Milk. Flan can be made with different kinds of milk; the ultimate choice depends on convenience, allergies or availability. The type of milk used also enhances the level of richness in a flan recipe. For example, evaporated milk is more decadent than regular milk, thus promoting creaminess to a flan.
3. Eggs. The egg whites are responsible for structure, while the yolks make a flan soft.
4. Vanilla paste ( flavouring)
5. Pinch of salt.
6. Caramelized white chocolate. Learn how to make homemade caramelized white chocolate here.

Milk

Milk is the ultimate ingredient for the creamy taste of Flan. It is incorporated in various forms in a flan recipe and can be used interchangeably.

1. Sweetened condensed milk– Sweetened condensed milk is milk that has been boiled, removing all water content and adding sugar to sweeten it. As a result, it acts as a sweetener in a flan while making it more creamy and rich in texture.
2. Evaporated milk – Milk that has been boiled, stripping it off its water, which also enhances the creamy taste of Flan. The only difference between evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk is that evaporated milk has no added sugar. It can be used interchangeably with regular milk, any non-dairy milk or half and half.
3. Whole milk -I like to use whole milk in conjunction with sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk, which improves texture and taste. The good news is that you can also quickly transform whole milk into sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk.

How to make Caramelized White Chocolate Flan with Caramelized Cornflakes.

Make the caramel syrup

Make a wet caramel.

Mix sugar with water in a medium pan in the ratio 2;1 and cook, swirling the pan occasionally. It will boil to a soft golden colour and eventually turn into a deep amber caramel.

Pour the caramel into a non-stick flan/tart pan and swirl around until the base is fully coated. Work fast since the sugar starts solidifying immediately after it is poured into the pan, making it hard to swirl around. Set it aside to harden completely.

Make the Flan.

Ingredients for the flan base are ;

• Caramelized white chocolate
• Evaporated milk
• Sweetened condensed milk.
• Eggs.
• Vanilla paste
• Pinch of salt.

Mix milk with a paste of vanilla and sweetened condensed milk and heat until just hot t( do not boil). Remove from heat, and stir in chopped caramelized white chocolate until fully melted and blended.

Drizzle over whisked eggs, constantly swirling to avoid cooking them. Whisk to thoroughly combine, pour into a baking pan, and cover with aluminium foil.

Bake

Fill a tray halfway with water, place the flan pan into it, and bake in a preheated oven of 160C for up to 1 hr.

You will know the Flan is ready when;

1. It is firm around the edges while the centre remains jiggly.
2. A knife easily cuts through and comes out clean.

Do not be tempted to overcook; otherwise, the flan texture will not be as smooth as it should.

Refrigerate

The more time flan takes in a fridge, the better the flavour develops and sets. The average setting time is 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Make the Caramelized cornflakes.

When the Flan is ready, make caramelized cornflakes. Start making a wet caramel by cooking sugar with water until a light amber colour appears. Stir in hot, heavy cream until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat, stir unsalted butter and a pinch of salt, then mix until combined.

Pour the caramel over cornflakes and stir until fully coated.

Garnish

Remove the Flan from the Flanera pan or baking pan by running a small knife or skewer around the edges. Flip it on a slightly dip plate or tray since the caramel layer will poodle around the Flan.

Garnish with the caramelized cornflakes, cut and serve.

Functional Equipment when making a Flan

• Flan baking pan. A good pan for baking flan should be either non-stick or glass in material, slightly deep, oven safe and leakproof. For this recipe, I used a non-stick fluted tart pan which made unmolding effortlessly easy, which I usually alternate with a ramekin baking bowl.
• Deep big plate. The caramel base usually settled at the bottom of a flan needs a pooling when the Flan is flipped, hence the need for a big plate and a slightly deeper plate to accommodate the caramel.
• Mixing bowl.
• Thermometer

Tips and tricks when making Caramelized white chocolate flan with caramelized cornflakes.

1. When using a regular standard baking pan, run a knife around the edges before unmolding.

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2. Mexican Hot chocolate truffles
3. Spiced Cupcakes with caramelized white chocolate frosting
4. Churros