Homemade Flan

Prepare the Light Caramel Sauce

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, add the sugar (over no heat). Sprinkle the water (⅓ cup) all over the sugar. Turn the heat to medium-high and gently bring the sugar/water mixture to a strong simmer. Don't stir the mixture.
2. Continue to allow the mixture to simmer strongly, swirling the pan occasionally until it starts to turn slightly brownish. Lower the heat to low and continue to occasionally swirl the pan. Once the mixture is a light amber, turn off the heat.
3. Lift the pan from the heat and continue swirling until golden amber color. Immediately pour the sauce evenly into each of the ramekins. Set aside (it's okay if the sauce hardens). (Clean the saucepan by filling it with hot water, or regular tap water and place it over medium heat, this will dissolve the hardened caramel).

Prepare the Custard and Finish the Flan

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat until warm and just starting to bubble on the sides of the pan.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Pour about half of the hot milk into the mixture, whisking continuously. Whisk in the remaining hot milk and whisk/stir until fully combined.
4. Strain the milk/egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or a heatproof pitcher. (If you don't have either of these, you can carefully ladle the mixture evenly into the ramekins.)
5. Place the ramekins in the roasting pan, about 1 inch apart from each other. Pour the custard (in equal portions) into the ramekins (fill from two-thirds up or up to nearly to the very top of each ramekin). Carefully place the pan on the middle rack in the oven. Pour the hot tap water (from a pitcher) into the pan until the water reaches about ⅓ to ½ way up each ramekin. SEE NOTES.
6. Bake for 55 to 70 minutes, or until the custard has set and is lightly browned on the edges.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the flan to cool in the water for about 1 hour. Next, place the ramekins in the refrigerator to cool for 1 hour, or overnight.
8. To serve, run a sharp knife along the top of each flan, only about ½-inch down. Next, place a flat dessert plate over the top of the ramekin. Invert the plate and ramekin and give a couple of good thrusts until you hear a slight thud and see that the caramel sauce is beginning to seep from the inverted ramekin.
9. Gently remove the ramekin and drizzle any remaining caramel sauce onto the flan. Repeat with remaining ramekins and serve at once.