* This post featured on ‘Freshly Pressed’ September 2014
I was intrigued when I recently saw contestants in the Australian production of ‘My Kitchen Rules’ make someting called a Flan de Café. I searched online and discovered that it’s a traditional Spanish/South American recipe made with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and coffee.
It looks very much like the crème caramel we’re more familiar with but, due to the type of milks used, has a very different texture. While a crème caramel, which is made with standard milk or cream, is light and silky, this flan is quite a bit denser (as you can see from my photos) and is sliced very easily because of it. It’s also, surprisingly, not overly sweet and goes together particularly well with whipped cream and sweet tropical fruits such as banana or mango.
Thanks to Meals.com for the easy to follow recipe. I adapted it only slightly, adding in some Kahlua (well, why wouldn’t you?!) and a little vanilla essence to round out the flavours just a bit more. If you’re wanting to impress your guests with a fairly spectacular looking dessert, but put very little effort into it, this one’s for you! Enjoy!!
FLAN DE CAFÉ
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 5 large eggs
- 12 fl oz Evaporated Milk
- 1 to 2 tbsp Instant Coffee Granules
- 20 ml Kahlua optional
- 1 tsp pure vanilla essence
- Whipped cream and fresh fruit to serve
Instructions
For the caramel:
- Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F).
- Place the sugar into a medium sized heavy-based saucepan or skillet (fry pan) over medium heat. As the sugar begins to melt, use a heatproof rubber spatula or a metal spoon to drag it towards the centre of the pan. Continue to do this until all the sugar has melted and begun to colour. Keep cooking, swirling the pan to prevent burning, until the sugar turns a golden reddish-brown and just begins to smoke (about 3-4 minutes).
- Quickly pour onto bottom of 9-inch deep pie dish; swirl around bottom and side to coat. Put aside for the caramel to set.
For the flan:
- Place the sweetened condensed milk, eggs, evaporated milk, coffee granules, Kahlua (if using) and vanilla essence in blender. Cover and blend until smooth.
- Pour into prepared dish; cover with foil. Place dish in large roasting pan; fill roasting pan with water to about 1-inch depth.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until there is a slight jiggle in the middle of the flan (don’t wait until it is set firm, or the result will be rubbery). Remove flan from water and cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- To serve, run a small spatula around edge of pan. Invert serving plate over dish. Turn over; shake gently to release. NB: You will find that some of the caramel will remain hardened in the bottom of your dish – you can simply microwave it on high for 10-20 seconds to melt it and pour it back over top of the flan. Serve topped with whipped cream and fruit.
Nutrition
76 responses
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This flan looks incredibly delicious! I love creme caramel and this looks very similar.. I bet the espresso flavour really takes the flavour to another level. Thanks for the recipe!
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Thanks Thalia – much appreciated. Yeah, it is a little like creme caramel but has a different texture – much firmer. Yummy though!
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Thanks for posting the recipe! Everyone must be-loved by this. Looks so delicious and sweet.
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Thanks!
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What a fantastic picture! It really drew me in (and I’m not normally a sweet tooth). Think I’ll have to give this one a try..
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Thanks Colette – much appreciated!
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Reblogged this on The things I do and commented:
This dessert sounds really good. I had it on e, I think. I’ll try it out after I grab the ingredients I need. ??-
Great – hope you enjoy it!
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I forget how dense flan can be sometimes. when my mind sees the dish, I think cremey pumpkin pie texture and then it’s quite firm and almost slimey depending on the temperature. But yes very tastey.
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Hiya. Yes, the texture is different – very smooth and firm.
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You can also make Nutella Flan!!!!! Just add like half a jar of nutella to the same recipe and just a little less condense milk 🙂
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Ooh yum! Sounds divine! Thanks for sharing!
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In the Philippines, we call it “leche flan”. No coffee though but same texture as in the photos. 🙂
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Yes, I imagine different cultures have similar versions. Thanks for sharing.
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Oh my god this looks perfekt and so yummy!! 🙂 http://www.alissaloves.wordpress.com
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Thanks so much!
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Ohhhhh!!! That looks so good!
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Thanks!!
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Reblogged this on Conversations I Wish I Had and commented:
Yum. Wonder if it could be possible to do an eggless version…-
Hi Lyla. The custard sets because of the eggs, so if you wanted an eggless version, I imagine you’d probably need to add gelatine which would make it more similar to a panna cotta. That’s my guess anyway!
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Thank you. That’s a really good suggestion.
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You’re most welcome! Hope it works!
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Susan, I love your flan, coming from South America I am fan flan hahaha, I love the picture, I almost drooling! 😉 I will try your recipe.
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Thanks so much Ysvet – great to hear from you. Hope you enjoy it!!
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That looks good I might have to make me some
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Cool – hope it goes well!
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I hope so too
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It looks fantastic ! 🙂
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Thank you! Really appreciate it.
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Nice blog!! have a look on my blog for the perfect wine for this 😉 http://www.plastikflair.com
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looks amazing!
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Thanks Katarina!
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My mouth is watering. Seriously.
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Haha.. just what I love to hear most!
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Hi! Your recipe is delicious! Can you like my page? Thanks! 😉
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Looks delicious! I really want to try this out
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Great! Enjoy!
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Looks delish!
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Thanks so much!
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I’m gonna have to give my sister this recipe. She loves flan. Thanks for sharing!
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Great! I hope she enjoys!
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Yummmy
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Thanks!
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I absolutely love this recipe as it is very easy, involves less ingredients and sounds so delicious. It has been included in my must try list from now on. I’ll sure try it sometime.
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I’m so pleased to hear that – hope you enjoy!
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Reminded me of Leche Flan. Coffee flavour, yum. Reading the recipe elevate my sugar level.
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Yes, it would be very similar. Yes, I’m sure reading recipes can do that!!
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Looks delicious will definitely give it a try….thanks for the recipe !
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Thanks so much!
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That looks amazing! I will defiantly have to whip it up sometime!
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I actually made a flan not to long ago and I’ve got to say, your flan just put mine to shame. This looks incredibly beautiful and delicious; can’t wait to try it out!
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Aw, I bet you’re being a bit hard on yourself! At the end of the day, it all tastes good anyway! Thanks so much for your kind words.
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Ohhhh we call this leche (milk) flan here in the Philippines! 🙂 I grew up eating this because it was my grandmother’s specialty. How I miss her and her leche flan!
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Gosh, so the leche flan is actually a specialty in several places around the world obviously. Perhaps you can become the family flan maker now!
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I think it is. It’s quite a common Filipino dessert here. We also put it on top of shaved ice, banana, milk, tapioca balls and ice cream. Try it! 🙂 My husband copied my grandmother’s recipe but we couldn’t get the the texture right. Try and try I guess!
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Sounds amazing – tapioca balls and ice cream – yum! Agree – practice makes perfect!
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This looks amazing! I love any coffee-flavored dessert. I can’t wait to try this one! Excellent photo, too, by the way. So glad I found your blog, I lost having new recipes to try!
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Thanks so much Leslie. Lovely to have you here. And yes isn’t coffee flavored just the best?!
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I love this
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Thanks for sharing! I was looking for a good recipe and this is one of the best ones so far.
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Thanks and you’re most welcome!
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Copied and placed in my “recipe” folder! Looks delicicious.
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Fabulous! Enjoy!!
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Hey it’s a leche flan! :> I love these sweet caramelized treats~
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Aren’t they divine?! I love caramelized anything!
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They always take my breath away! ♡
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Wow! Looks perfect! I love flan! 🙂 ~Sophia
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Thanks so much Sophia!
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I love flan. Yumm.
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Me too!
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Thank you for this delicious recipe! We hope to serve it in our cafe in the future 🙂 If that’s okay with you?
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Great idea! The original recipe came from Nestle on Meals.com. The link is here if you want to ask them directly. All the best.
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Reblogged this on Manny Torres Gallery and commented:
Mmm! good. I need to try this with the coffee. Thanks for sharing.-
You’re welcome!
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The DOF, and composition looks amazing! I want a spoonful just to taste! I love Fla. I’m going to have to bookmark this and make it! I only hope the rest of the family likes it too or I’m sure I’d end up eating the whole thing! 🙂
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Hey thanks for that – much appreciated. I hope you do make it and if you have to eat it all yourself.. oh well, worse things could happen!
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