Flan de Caramelo

Flan de Caramelo
2 c sugar
1 c Ranchero Cheese (Farmer's cheese or cream cheese)
1 1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c Cajeta Envinada
1 c cream
6 eggs


Preheat oven to 350.  Place 1 cup of the sugar in a pan and allow to caramelize; swirling and stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Pour the sugar into a mold and tilt so the caramel covers the bottom and sides of the mold.  Set aside.
At this point, we put the rest of the ingredients (except the Cajeta Envinada) into the blender and pureed.  The written recipe recommends lightly beating the eggs with the rest of the sugar; pureeing the milk, cheese and cream in the blender; and then combining the two.
Pour into the mold on top of the caramel.  Place the mold into a larger pan with 1 inch of hot water in the bottom of the pan (a water bath).  You can cover with flan with foil, though we did not.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  The flan will still have a lot of jiggle to it.  Allow to cool to room temp, and refrigerate over night.  (We popped ours straight into the fridge so we could eat it the same day; I imagine it would be a bit more set up if you leave it in the fridge over night).
To serve; place mold in hot water to soften caramel and run a knife around the outside edge.  Place a plate on top, and carefully invert so the plate is on the bottom and the mold is on top.
Serve with Cajeta Envinada or other caramel sauce.


Serves 6-10

Creme brulee

I finally did it! I made a delicious creme brulee and it was delicious and wonderful and awesome and delicious. Hot damn I love vanilla. I halved Alton's recipe since it was just Quinn and I (thanks for the lovely photo PHBF). I served it with fresh berries and my mouth fell in love.

Crème Brulee

* 1 quart heavy cream
* 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
* 1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
* 6 large egg yolks
* 2 quarts hot water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh berries or experiment with adding different flavors to the custard.