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Flan de queso
Flan de queso: Puerto Rican cream-cheese flan in caramel
Denser and tangier than a plain egg flan, flan de queso is the dessert Puerto Rican families bake for birthdays and Nochebuena, often a day ahead so it can chill overnight. Cream cheese is blended with evaporated and condensed milk and eggs, then baked slowly in a water bath on a layer of amber caramel, so it turns out glossy, sliceable and somewhere between a flan and a cheesecake. The common mistake is baking it too hot, which makes it puff, crack and weep; low heat and a water bath keep it silky. Chef's tip: take the caramel to the colour of a dark copper coin, as a pale caramel tastes only sweet and a bitter edge balances the rich cheese.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the caramel
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 2 tbsp water
For the flan
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheeseat room temperature
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ cups evaporated milk
- 5 eggsat room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan) and boil a kettle. Have ready a 23 cm round cake tin or flan mould (not loose-bottomed) and a roasting tin it fits in.
Step 2: Put 5 ½ oz sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small pan over a medium heat. Swirl, don't stir, until it melts and turns a deep amber, about 6–8 minutes. Pour it straight into the tin and tilt to coat the base. Take care: caramel burns badly.
8 minStep 3: Blend 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 1 ½ cups evaporated milk, 5 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 pinch salt for 30 seconds until completely smooth. Rest for 5 minutes, then skim off the froth so the flan is smooth.
5 minStep 4: Pour the mixture over the set caramel. Put the tin in the roasting tin and pour in hot water to come halfway up the sides.
Step 5: Bake for 60–70 minutes, until the edge is set and the centre wobbles like jelly when you nudge the tin; a knife 2 cm from the edge should come out clean.
65 minStep 6: Lift out of the water, cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Step 7: Run a thin knife round the edge, put a deep plate on top and turn it over in one quick move. Let the caramel run over and serve in wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does flan de queso take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of full-fat cream cheese?
- Mascarpone, same amount.
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