Creamy Lavender Flan Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 360*. Set out 6-8 OVENPROOF custard cups, soup cups, or large ramekins that will hold at least 6 oz. each. Add the sugar, water and lemon juice to a sauce pan and place over medium-high heat. Allow it to come to a light boil and reduce the heat to simmer.
• Place the evaporated milk in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the lavender to the milk and allow it to come to a simmer. Simmer the milk one minute, then turn the heat off and let the lavender steep in the milk until ready to use.
• Meanwhile, watch the caramel! Once the color starts to change, it goes fast. Allow it to bubble until it is a light to medium brown. Quickly pour an equal amount of liquid caramel in each cup. Be very careful-hot sugar can cause serious burns! The caramel will harden up almost instantly.
• Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the cream cheese until it's light and fluffy. You may want to warm it in the microwave for just a few seconds to make sure it's really soft. With the mixer still running, add one egg at a time, to allow the mixture to fluff up as much as possible. Now add the vanilla and salt. Then with the mixer continually running, slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk and the evaporated milk with lavender. Whisk until smooth.
• Set the custard cups in a larger baking pan, lined with a clean dish towel. Fill the pot used for the caramel with water. Bring to a boil.
• Use a sieve to strain the lavender and any clumps out of the flan mixture. (You could leave the lavender in if you don't mind the texture.) Then pour the mixture equally into each cup. Carefully fill the large pan with boiling water until it comes half way up the sides of the custard cups. Cover the whole pan, loosely with foil.
• Bake for 40-70 minutes. The cook time depends heavily on the size and depth of your custard cups. Check at 40 minutes, then add 10 minute increments until done. The flan is done when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool them to room temperature, then cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• To serve- Run a paring knife around the edges of each flan cup. Cover with an inverted dessert plate and flip. Give it one good shake if necessary. The flan should come out with a light caramel sauce over the top! Serve alone or with berries.

Steps:

• To make the custard: Combine the milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the lavender in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
• Combine the eggs, egg yolks, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl and beat until light and frothy. Gradually add half the boiled milk mixture, stirring constantly. Gradually add the yolk mixture back to the milk mixture in the pan, stirring constantly. Strain the custard into a clean container and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (This may be done 1 day in advance.).
• To make the caramel: lightly oil six 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Combine all the caramel ingredients in a small pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar turns a light amber color, about 10 to 12 minutes. Pour an 1/8-inch layer of caramel into the bottom of each prepared ramekin or custard cup.
• To make flans: Preheat the oven to 325°F Place the ramekins or cups in a deep baking pan. Carefully pour the custard into the ramekins or cups.Add warm water halfway up the sides of the ramekins or cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges have set and a nickel-sized spot in the center jiggles slightly when a flan is shaken. Remove the baking pan from the oven and remove the flans from the baking pan.
• Let cool completely. Place in the fridge at least 6 hours or over night.
• Tip each flan out of the ramekin or cup onto a dessert plate and garnish with strawberries and mint.

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, cook sugar and water over medium-low heat until melted and golden, about 15 minutes. Brush down crystals on the side of the pan with additional water as necessary. Quickly pour into an ungreased 2-qt. round baking or souffle dish, tilting to coat the bottom; let stand for 10 minutes. , Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour over caramelized sugar. , Place the dish in a larger baking pan. Pour boiling water into larger pan to a depth of 1 in. Bake until the center is just set (mixture will jiggle), 50-60 minutes. , Remove dish from a larger pan to a wire rack; cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight. , To unmold, run a knife around edges and invert onto a large rimmed serving platter. Cut into wedges or spoon onto dessert plates; spoon sauce over each serving.

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine cream, milk and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream mixture; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in another heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Quickly pour caramel into six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Using oven mitts as aid, immediately tilt each ramekin to coat sides. Set ramekins into 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
• Whisk eggs, egg yolks and 7 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl just until blended. Gradually and gently whisk cream mixture into egg mixture without creating lots of foam. Pour custard through small sieve into prepared ramekins, dividing evenly (mixture will fill ramekins). Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake until centers of flans are gently set, about 40 minutes. Transfer flans to rack and cool. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. Cover and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead.)
• To serve, run small sharp knife around flan to loosen. Turn over onto plate. Shake gently to release flan. Carefully lift off ramekin allowing caramel syrup to run over flan. Repeat with remaining flans and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place a 9-inch metal pie dish into a deep baking pan; pour boiling water into baking pan to reach about halfway up the side of the pie dish.
• Pour 1 teaspoon water and 1/2 cup sugar into a heavy saucepan, place over medium heat, and constantly swirl the sugar-water mixture in the pan over the heat until sugar dissolves, melts, and turns into a golden-brown caramel syrup, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully, the sugar burns easily. Pour melted caramel into the warmed pie dish and gently tilt pie dish to coat the bottom with caramel.
• Whisk egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl until mixture is creamy and thoroughly combined. If mixture is foamy, skim foam off with a folded paper towel. Gently pour custard over caramel in pie dish. Cover baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until custard is set but still jiggles slightly when moved, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove foil and place baking sheet with water bath and flan in refrigerator to chill, about 2 hours.
• Remove pie dish from baking pan; run a knife around the edges of flan to loosen from pie dish. Invert flan onto a rimmed serving platter to release custard and let caramel sauce flow over the flan.