How naive of me… when I started this little blog project of mine I never realized how time consuming it would be. After all I do have somewhat of a loaded plate as it is, full-time job, 2 1/2-3 hr daily commute, family, etc.
Don’t get me wrong, I love it! I find the creative thought process and execution of putting a new post together utterly exciting, it makes time just fly by. I enjoy it way too much to stop, that’s for sure.
This is “MY” time and I’m taking it… (just like my daily lunchtime coffee runs, shhhhhh!!!)
In need of a caffeine fix yourself? I leave you with this yummy coffee flan, it’ll do the trick.
Café con Leche Flan
adapted from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen
Makes 6 individual flans
1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dark-roasted instant coffee
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon borghetti espresso liqueur
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Caramelizing the molds.
Set six 5-6 ounce custard cups or ramekins into a baking pan deep enough to hold about 2 inches of water.
In a small heavy sauce pan add 1/2 cup sugar and the water, stir until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, to brush down the sugar crystals on the side of the pan, dip a pastry brush in water and rub against the sides of the pan reduce heat and simmer over medium heat without stirring, until the syrup begins to color. Swirl the pan continually over the heat until the syrup is an even, deep amber.
Quickly and carefully pour the caramel in equal amounts into each of the 6 ramekins, the caramel will begin to harden if you don’t do this step fast enough. Make sure you tilt each ramekin so that the caramel covers at least the entire bottom.
The custard
In a medium size sauce pan, pour the half-and-half, milk, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and coffee, stir well and bring to a simmer over medium heat stirring occasionally remove from heat and let it steep for 20 minutes.
Whisk the eggs, vanilla, espresso liqueur in a large mixing bowl until combined, then slowly whisk in the hot-milk mixture. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or pitcher with a spout, then divide the mixture among the ramekins.
Baking the flans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Pour about 2 inches of very hot water into the pan around the filled molds. Lay a sheet of foil over the molds, but don’t seal the pan or it will build up too much heat. Place the pan in the center rack and bake just until the custard has barely set, about 25 minutes.
Let the flan cool in the water bath, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly.
To unmold, run a non-serrated knife around the edge of each mold, penetrating to the bottom, then twist the mold back and forth to ensure that the custard will move freely.
Invert a serving plate over each mold, then reverse the two and listen for the flan to drop.
