Cafe Azteca's Latin American Flan

Flan is a custard dessert popular all over Latin America.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
5 eggs
2 cans condensed milk
2 Tbs. vanilla
2-3/4 cups whole milk
Whipped cream
6 sprigs mint

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Set up 6 ramekins inside a large rectangular pan.

Pour sugar into a small pan over medium heat. Add water. Stir for 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves completely. Keep stirring as it boils and turn off heat when mixture is medium brown.

Pour two spoonfuls into each ramekin.

Break eggs into a large mixing bowl. Whisk. Add condensed milk, vanilla, and whole milk.

Pour cold water into the pan that the ramekins are resting inside. (The culinary term for this is a bain marie.)

Add a ladle full of the egg and milk mixture into each ramekin.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Take a knife and carefully cut the edges of the flan away from the sides of the ramekin. Then flip the ramekin over onto a plate, and lift it away.

Dot whipped cream at three corners of the flan. Add a sprig of mint to one dot of whipped cream.

Serves: 6

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Chef Antonio Guerrero is the chef and owner of Cafe Azteca, an elegant Mexican restaurant located in Lawrence, Mass. He shared this recipe with us when he was featured as our guest on Neighborhood Kitchens.

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