Be Still My Heart

This deserves an immediate entry although I can do laundry, wash dishes and return to the computer and still the photo is uploading. Anyway.. I am short of opening the door and screaming to the world about my wonderful, creamy, smooth flan.

I never realize it, but hey, I'm good. I'm that good. Ahem.

Well, either that or I'm armed with beginners luck! Wahooo.. Anyhoo, the result is the same.. teeheeee ;)

I have been bracing myself to make a flan. Afterall, my mom-in-law makes a really really wonderful creamy and smooth flan. Many people has tried making flan, but none that satisfied H. "I felt like I'm eating vanilla custard. Too much." or "The caramel is burnt" or "This is not flan. It doesn't move when you shake it.." Or in another words, his mom's is the best!

I learned to trust H's opinion, because (a) he practically grew up in the kitchen and (b) he has a very sensitive palate. He's one of those people who can tell the ingredients from just a teaspoon-ful. It's like watching the taste test in Masterchef kitchen. It's not easy to please (and fool) his tongue. And he's not hesitant to grow hungry rather than eating something that's distasteful. Imagine when I first brought him to meet my parents.. hah! even the full cream milk is too watery, not creamy at all.

But guess what he told me just now.. "I think yours is on the same level as my mom. It's really good, mon coeur" Wahoooo... Yippedeedoodah!!

Original recipe is from all recipe here and I upped the sugar, as per recommendation.

Creamy Caramel Flan (makes one 9-inch flan, but I used 10 inch mold here)

Ingredients:
* 1 cup sugar
* 4 eggs

* 1 can condensed milk

* 1 3/4 cup water
* 1/8 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

How to: 
* Pre-heat oven to 175 C.

* In a heavy bottom pan, over medium heat, spread the sugar evenly and let it caramelized. Do NOT disturb it until you've started to see them turning brown by the edges. You can see the full instruction with photo here.

* In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add in the water, condensed milk, salt & vanilla essence. Mix until well incorporate.

* Pour the caramel mixture into an unbuttered pan, followed by the egg-milk mixture. Lay the pan inside a larger pan/pyrex (i.e. stacking up the two pans) and pour some hot water into the larger pan till half-covering the inner pan.

* Bake for 50 mins or so, until knife inserted in the middle custard comes out clean. Take out and let it cool.

* Chill in fridge at least for 4 hrs before serving. Don't forget to turn it upside down! ;)