Mission flan
Instructions:
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The California missions spearheaded much of the good cooking done in the West. When sweetened condensed milk became available in the late 1800s, the missionaries of Spanish descent combined caramel custard with it to make this superb dessert.
- 1⁄2 cup sugar;
- 4 eggs;
- One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk;
- 1 cup water;
- 1 teaspoon vanilla, rum, or brandy.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Have ready a shallow 1-quart casserole or pie pan. Heat some water to a boil in a kettle.
- Pour the sugar into a cast-iron skillet and stir over low heat until the sugar melts and caramelizes. Pour the molten sugar into the pie pan, coating the bottom and sides evenly. Allow sugar to cool while you prepare the custard.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs and add the milk, water, and your choice of flavoring. Pour into the prepared dish and set in a larger pan containing 1 inch of boiling water. Bake 1 hour, or until set. Loosen flan with a spatula and turn out onto a deep serving dish. Chill, and serve with the sauce that accumulates around the flan spooned over it.