Flan Total cost: Under $5.00 Serves: 6+

Caramel Flan

Flan is a delicious and a very easy dessert to make. The most challenging part of preparing a flan is the caramel. However, if you have prepared caramel sauce for your ice cream before, it is a similar method but simpler. The three basic steps to make this dessert include making the caramel, preparing the custard and baking it in a bain-marie (water bath). Steps are in that order.

Pre heat your over at 350°.

For the caramel you will need:
1 cup of white granulated sugar (you have it in your pantry)
¼ cup water
Cook in the stove at medium high until an amber color is obtained. When done, remove it from the stove immediately and very carefully, pour the caramel in a Pyrex-meatloaf mold, moving the mold so the caramel covers the bottom of the pan.

For the Bain-Marie
Put the mold you just poured caramel in, inside another larger mold with warm water. I use a rectangular cake mold.

For the custard:
1 13-oz cans evaporated milk ($1.25)
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk (2.25)
1 tbsp. of vanilla (I use Amaretto Disaronno Liquor)
¼ tsp. Cinnamon (you have it in your pantry) Optional
¼ tsp. fresh nutmeg (you have it in your pantry) Optional
6 large eggs (for a fat free Flan I only use the egg whites) ($1.25)
For this custard, mix all the ingredients in a blender in the order listed. Do not over mix. Pour custard into caramelized mold, cover with foil, and sit in your rectangular cake mold. Then pour hot water into the cake mold, about one and a half cup, this is your bain-marie (water bath). Bake in the oven at 350° for 1 to 1½ hours until done and knife comes out clean.

YUMMY!