Adapting flan

[shroomgirl]

Flan by any other name......
Welp, doing a last minute Cuban buffet for 12. Dessert dreamed up by yours trully was coconut flan with tropical fruits. so I just started heating and mixxing, should be ok......

1qt cream and 1 can coconut milk heated
4 eggs and 4 egg yolks mixed with approx 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 6 oz cream cheese ( if I'd had bacardy it woulda made it too)
Mix, seive and put into caramelized sugar pan and bake in a water bath for now going on an hour, will need to stop giggling so much.
I tasted the raw mix and it was wonderful!!!
My normal recipe for flan is milk and evap cond milk and cream cheese....figured swapping out cream and coconut milk would not be a total stretch.
UM ok so when your playing with your food how do you go about it?

[IronChefATL]

I like you idea of coconut flavored flan and the fruit alot. I think maybe I would would work some Malibu coconut rum into the caramel. My standard recipe for flan is:
5 eggs
12 yolks
1.5 TBLS vanilla
1.5 cups sugar
incorperated into
6 cups heavy cream scalded
for about 8 x 1 cup flans

I think I would reduce a few cans of coconut milk then sub it for some of the cream. I might add fresh lime juice for some of the vanilla. Well thats how I would play with my food. Thanx for ideas shroomgirl.

Keep the coconut milk but skip the tropical fruits, real Flan desserts do not contain fruit pieces, also drink your Bacardi with ice and don't pour it in the Flan - too strong; stick to the caramel.
Believe me I make a living making these puppies to the Cuban crowd down here and they wouldn't have it any other way

Master Recipe
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 1/4 cups evaporated milk
1 can (small) condensed milk
pinch of salt
8 oz cream cheese (optional)

350 for 55 min

Delicioso!

PS: caramel (well if you don't know how to do it we have problems)

[IronChefATL]

She was speaking of garnishing around the flan w/ fruit. pieces in it would be gross youre correct.

[angrychef]

Interesting, I didn't know South american flan had cream cheese in it. I've done the one with condensed milk.

Even though Flan is widely popular throughout Latin America it finds it's roots in Spain. Cheese Flan is the most popular variation as it is Coconut Flan.

[IronChefATL]

Hey shroomgirl be sure to posts how the party came off. We know you did great, but tell us anyway.

[m brown]

I'd go for more eggs but the coconut milk is always wise!

[shroomgirl]

Raves.... it's a killer~~~
Tropical fruit...mango, pineapple and kiwi bordered the flan with mint and lime slices intersprsed. There was a man from Brazil and one that just got back from Cuba that raved and wanted details.
The mango was gorgeous....all the fruit was just right.
They loved dinner I bugged out to a farmer meeting and left competant help then got in as dessert was going out.
I told the hostess that I'm glad I wrote down the recipe cus usually I don't and it's a one time pop....I walked through that I used the cream cheese so that the custard would have some body when I turned it on to the platter and wouldn't break. She asked what I woulda done if it broke I said put the fruit on top!!!
Gotta love it!!! usually I leave it as cooking majic just the mystery of Julie

[IronChefATL]

great!