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Bay Leaf Flan Serving
ChefHotDish

Bay Leaf Flan

A rich and creamy play on traditional flan! This contemporary custard is complimented by the deep amber sugar and fragrant bay leaves.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Caramel Topping
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
Bay Leaf Custard Mixture
  • 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 4 each large eggs
  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 12 oz heavy cream
  • 6-7 each large bay leaves
  • 1 1/4 tsp orange extract

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Roasting Pan
  • Cake Pan, 2-quart Baking Dish or 4 ounce Ramekins
  • Electric hand mixer

Method
 

  1. In a large saucepan, bring plenty of water to a boil. This water will be used as a water bath when baking the flan in the roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Preparing the Caramel Topping
  1. Have an ungreased 9 x 2 inch cake pan, 2-quart baking dish or ramekins set up in roasting pan.
  2. In a medium saucepan whisk together caramel topping sugar and water. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil.
    Boiling Sugar
  3. Once the mixture is boiling, stop stirring and let it cook until the color changes to an amber color. Remove from the heat.
    Amber Sugar
  4. Immediately pour caramelized sugar into the cooking vessel of your choice. Carefully tilt and swirl caramel to coat the entire bottom surface of your cooking vessel. Set aside in roasting pan.
    Ambered Sugar Coating
For the Flan Custard Mixture
  1. In a saucepan, add bay leaves and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer then turn off heat and set aside, allowing bay leaves to steep in heavy cream.
    Bay Leaf Cream
  2. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, blend together cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar until smooth.
  3. Mix in the eggs one by one, mixing until just combined after each egg addition. Gradually mix in the sweetened condensed milk, (remove bay leaves), bay leaf cream and orange extract.
  4. Pour custard mixture over the set caramel layer in your cooking vessel. Set vessel/s in roasting pan. Pour in enough boiling water to reach roughly halfway up the sides of your cooking vessel.
    Flan Custard on Ambered Sugar
  5. Bake until just set (the custard should have a little wiggle when you move it), about 45-50 minutes.
    Hot Water Bath
  6. Gently remove custards from the water bath. Set on a cooling rack for roughly 1 hour. Transfer to a refrigerator to chill, minimum 4 hours to overnight.
    Cooling Flan Custard
  7. Run a sharp knife around the flan next to the top edge of your cooking vessel to loosen the flan for plating. While holding your plate in place over the top of the flan, flip the flan upside down and allow the flan to loosen from the cooking vessel.
    Releasing Custard from Pan
  8. Once released, you should have a pool of caramel coating the top of the flan and onto your serving plate.
    Bay Leaf Flan Platted
  9. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
    Bay Leaf Flan Serving

Notes

Bay Leaf Flan Platted  Lots of delicious amber caramel create a wonderful sauce to accompany this custard.  Enjoy slightly room temperature!