Autumn Flan With Scotch Caramel

Happy Friday!! Weather is cooling off so it’s a good time to start baking Fall desserts like this one.

I know many people are not into flan BUT this one is a Peruvian version with Fall flavors plus it has scotch in the caramel. It really tastes amazing and the texture is on point. My husband was not a flan fan but every time I make this version of flan, he loves it and he wants more.

Let’s start with the recipe. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @Pastry_Tales because I’m posting a lot of Fall recipes including videos.

Ingredients

For the caramel

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1-2 tablespoons Scotch/Whiskey (optional)

For the flan

1 can condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

5 large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 ground ginger

1/4 ground cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

pinch of ground nutmeg

Directions

For the caramel

1.- In a saucepan mix water and sugar over low heat. When the sugar is all dissolved (no sugar granules left) , turn up the heat to medium-high and let the mix of sugar/water turn into the caramel, this will take about 15-20 minutes, do not mix , just keep an eye that it doesn’t burn because it will taste bitter.

2.- After a couple of minutes it will start to boil, bubbling a lot, please do not touch or stir. Just let cook and you will see that little by little the color of the mixture will start to change, to a light caramel color and then to a medium dark caramel color. Add the scotch (if using) and be careful because it will flame up. Turn off the heat.

3.- Protect your hands with an oven mitt or a kitchen towel and pour into a ( 8 inch) baking pan or loaf pan, covering all the inner surface with the caramel. Be very careful with your fingers, and don’t even dream of tasting it with your tongue. Hot caramel is dangerous. Let it cool, it will get hard.

For the flan

*Preheat oven to 350 F*

1.- In a blender, mix eggs, condensed milk, vanilla and spices. After everything is well mixed, use a sieve to catch any egg part that did not get mixed and then pour into the baking pan. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a your pan, this will help to catch any egg that did not mix well. Place your pan inside a larger pan that has 2 fingers high of hot water.

2.- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes aprox. Let it cool completely. After 45 minutes of baking , check if the top part is too dark. If it’s dark, cover it with foil but be sure it doesn’t touch the flan.

Tip:  You know it’s ready when it looks like a gelatin and  when you move it softly there are not liquid parts. Don’t overbake it or you’ll loose the creamy texture. Also, always keep hot water in the bigger pan, if the water evaporates, add more. 

3.- Let it cool to room temperature. Finally, refrigerate it overnight.

4.- Next morning, run a knife around the border and turn the flan over a bigger plate. If that doesn’t help, place the pan over some hot boiling water for a couple of minutes, then try to turn the flan over again. Have patience, sometimes, it takes a little bit of time. Using a spoon, scoop all the caramel left in the bottom of the pan and pour it on the top of your flan.

5.- Keep refrigerated.

Enjoy!!