Coffee flan – Flan de café

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F.
2. The first step is to coat the flan molds with caramel. There are different methods for preparing the caramel for flan. Below are the two options that have worked best for us and are the most failproof. Choose the one you prefer.

Option 1: Waterless caramel method

1. Put the sugar directly into a large heatproof flan mold; there is no need to add any water. This works great if you are using a metallic round flan mold or baking pan. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves and caramelizes; it should be a golden amber color.
2. If you are using a flan mold that can’t be directly heated on the stove or several small molds (ramekins), you can make the caramel without adding water using a small saucepan.
3. When the caramel is ready, distribute it into the molds or ramekins. Then, carefully hold each mold one at a time with a potholder or tongs and rotate them gently until the caramel coats the bottom and sides of the mold. Set them aside while you prepare the rest of the flan.

Options 2: Method with water (uses a ratio of 1 volume of water for every 2 volumes of sugar)

1. In a medium pot or saucepan, add ¾ cup of sugar and 6 tablespoons (90 m)l of water. Mix well until the sugar is dissolved, and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. The key here is to let it boil without stirring. At first, it will seem that the color does not change, but after 8 to 10 minutes, the caramel will begin to take on that golden color.
3. It is crucial to pay close attention to the caramel in these last minutes because it can go from having the perfect color to being burnt in a matter of seconds.
4. Remove the pot with the caramel from the heat and quickly distribute it into a large flan mold or the smaller individual molds. If the molds are made of metal, they will heat up quickly when they come into contact with the candy, so it is recommended that you use gloves to hold them.

Coffee flan preparation:

1. Put the whole milk, the condensed milk, the whole eggs, the egg yolks, the instant coffee, and the vanilla in a mixing bowl.
2. Mix all the ingredients using a whisk or an electric mixer until well combined.
3. Another alternative is to mix the ingredients for the mixture using a blender.
4. Distribute the flan mixture in the flan molds that you previously coated with caramel.
5. Fill a large baking pan with warm water up to the halfway point. Carefully place the baking mold (or ramekins) with the coffee flan inside the pan with water.
6. Bake the coffee flans, in bain-marie or water bath, in the oven for about 35-40 minutes for the smaller individual molds and for 55-65 minutes if using a single large mold. You can test that the flans are ready by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, it indicates that the flan is done. If not, let it cook for 5 more minutes and try again. It is important that the water in the bain-marie does not boil; if it seems like it is going to boil, reduce the temperature of the oven a little.
7. Remove the flan(s) from the oven, let them cool at room temperature for an hour, and then refrigerate them for a couple more hours before serving.
8. When ready to serve, carefully unmold them onto a plate, and let the caramel drizzle on top. You can serve the coffee flan alone or garnished with whipped cream and/or chocolate shavings.