Spiced Egg Custard with Orange
Here I come with one of those “twists” on such a traditional dessert as homemade egg flan. The basic recipe is wonderful and I wouldn’t change it for anything, that must be said, but from time to time a bit of innovation never hurts. In this case, I’ve given it a twist with my favorite spices to experiment with the contrast with orange powder. ¡Y qué rico!
As for the decoration, I couldn’t resist the visual effect: a bit of grated coconut in the purest “snowy flan” style to celebrate the end of my first winter in Swiss lands, which despite the novelty I must say felt loooong and chilly (especially on those walks from the plane to the terminal—please, install a jet bridge already!).
Ingredients for 6 units
500 ml fresh milk
4 eggs
3 or 4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon orange powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
For caramelizing the molds
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
Preparation
First, caramelize the molds. To do this, place the two tablespoons of sugar with the two tablespoons of water in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until it boils and turns golden. Quickly pour it into the molds so it doesn’t solidify in the saucepan. Let them cool while you prepare the flan.
Beat the eggs and sugar. Add the spices and orange powder, then the milk.
Pour the mixture into the caramelized molds.
Here come the two options: with or without a pressure cooker. If you have one, place the covered flans inside (so water doesn’t splash into them) and fill the bottom of the cooker with room-temperature water until it covers at least 2/3 of the height of the molds. Put it on the heat and count 5 minutes from when it starts boiling. Turn it off and let it rest for about 2–3 hours inside the cooker.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can make a bain-marie in a large pot with a height similar to that of the molds. Place the covered molds inside and fill the pot with room-temperature water until it covers at least 2/3 of their height. Put it on the heat and count 15 minutes from when it starts boiling. Turn it off and let it rest for about 2–3 hours inside the pot.
Once they have cooled, place them in the refrigerator.
Notes
You can serve it with whipped cream, grated coconut, or fruit in syrup.
If the water in the pot evaporates during cooking, you can add more, making sure it’s at a similar temperature (boiling).
