What is Leche Flan?
Leche flan is a classic Filipino dessert. It is a caramel custard dessert made with milk and egg yolks introduced in the Philippines during the Spanish colonization. You will usually find it served in every home in the province during fiestas.
What are the ingredients of Leche Flan?
The main ingredients are egg yolks and milk (both canned evaporated and condensed). Sugar is also used for the caramel topping. Vanilla extract and citrus juice for added flavor.
How to make Leche Flan
Making leche flan is a 3-step process:
- First, prepare the mold and cover it with caramel.
- Second, prepare the custard.
- Third, steam it or bake it in a water bath (Bain-marie).
How to make caramel
Start by lining the mold with caramel. Traditional molds or llanera are used. They are molds made of tin that are widely available in the Philippines. But any cake mold can be used.
Place the mold over the stove and under low heat. Add the sugar and swirl to evenly coat the bottom of the mold. Once the sugar melts and starts to caramelize, continue swirling the mold to prevent burning the sugar. Burnt sugar will leave a bitter taste in the caramel.
When the caramel turns into the color of honey, remove it from the heat. Continue to swirl the mold to evenly coat the bottom until the caramel cools down and thickens. Let it rest and set aside to solidify.
How to make the custard
To make the custard we will mix egg yolks, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk.
We will also use vanilla extract as an additional flavoring. To counter the rich taste of egg, we will add lemon juice to the mixture.
We’ll start by separating the egg yolks from the egg whites.
How to separate egg yolks
The easiest method I use is using a 2 tbsp measuring spoon to scoop out the egg yolk. This is not the only method but I found it to be the least “messy”.
Crack the egg on a flat surface like a tabletop. This is to ensure that the yolk is intact and it will be easier to separate them from the egg whites. Transfer the egg into a small bowl. Just scoop out the yolk and use the side of the bowl to let the egg white drip along its side. Easy right?
Now slowly mix the egg yolks with milk (evaporated and condensed). Be careful not to create bubbles as they will produce unsightly holes in the custard. Add vanilla extract and lemon juice.
Cover the mold with aluminum foil and place it in a steamer. Let it cook for 55 minutes to an hour.
How can I steam Leche Flan if I don’t have a steamer?
If you don’t have a steamer, use your oven. Find a tray that would accommodate your mold. Pour some water in the tray enough to submerge the mold in about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water. Place the tray and mold in the oven and bake at 350℉ for 1 hour.
The video below shows both methods of cooking leche flan. Option 1 is by using a steamer and Option 2 is by using a water bath.
How do I prevent bubbles from forming in my Leche Flan?
The trick is in the mixing of the ingredients. Do not mix too fast as to introduce air bubbles. Mix moderately ensuring that the mixture blends well.
Even with care, there will still be some bubbles in the mixture. Lightly tap the mold on the table to release them to the surface. Now you can poke the bubbles with a toothpick to get rid of them.
How do I know when it’s ready?
When the flan jiggles like Jello in the middle but its side is firm, insert a toothpick in the middle of the mold. When the toothpick comes out clean it is ready.
It is perfectly fine to have a jiggly flan as it will firm up after it has cooled down.
Leche Flan
Ingredients
- 8 Large egg yolks
- 1 can Evaporated milk
- 1 can Condensed milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 6 tbsp sugar
Instructions
Prepare the caramel
- Pour 6 tablespoons of sugar into a metal mold.
- Fire up the stove and caramelize the sugar under low heat.
- Constantly swirl the liquefied sugar to cover the bottom of the mold evenly.
- Once the caramelized sugar achieve a dark-honey color, remove it from the stove.
- Set aside and allow the sugar to harden.
Prepare the custard
- In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks, evaporated milk and condensed milk.
- Mix slowly and thoroughly, taking good care not to create bubbles.
- Add vanilla extract and lemon juice. Mix slowly.
- Strain the custard and transfer into the mold with the caramelized sugar.
Option 1 – Steamer
- Pour about 2 liters of water in the bottom pan of the steamer.
- Place on stove and allow to boil.
- Place the mold in the steamer and cover.
- Set the heat to low and allow to cook for 55 minutes to an hour.
- Once done, remove the mold and allow to cool down.
Option 2 – Water bath
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Place the mold in a baking pan.
- Add enough water up to 1 – 1 1/2 inch deep.
- Once the oven reaches 350℉, place the water bath with the mold and bake for 1 hour.
- Once done, remove the mold and allow to cool down.
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