These flans get their unique creamy texture from ricotta and cream cheese. They require at least 3 hours of refrigeration and can be made ahead and served 4 days out. You will need either 8 6-ounce ramekins or 10 4-ounce ramekins.
Cook Time1 hourhr
Refrigeration3 hourshrs
Total Time4 hourshrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Spanish
Keyword: flan, gluten free
Servings: 86-oz ramekins or 10 4-oz
Calories: 490kcal
Author: Chef Sara Furcini
Ingredients
8ozcream cheese
1/2cupricotta cheese
2cupscane sugardivided
2largeegg yolks
4largeeggs
1 1/2cupswhole milk
1cupheavy cream
1 1/2teaspoonspure vanilla extract
Pinchof kosher salt
Boiling water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a baking dish with a double layer of paper towels and set the ramekins on the towels. To make the custard, use a stand mixer fitted with a whisk to beat both cheeses with 1 cup of sugar, scraping the sides with a spatula. Mix until very smooth, 2 minutes. Beat in the yolks and whole eggs one at a time until incorporated, then add the milk, cream, vanilla, and salt. Set aside.
Next make the caramel sauce that will go in the bottom of each ramekin. In a medium pot, combine the remaining 1 cup of sugar with 1/3 cup of water. Over low heat, stir until sugar dissolves, then increase heat to medium high to bring the syrup to a boil. Do not stir, but occasionally swirl the pan. Cook until a deep amber caramel forms, about 10 minutes. Working quickly, pour the caramel into 10 4-oz ramekins or 8 6-oz ramekins, swirling to coat the bottoms.
Pour the custard into the ramekins, filling to the top. Open the oven door, and set the baking pan with ramekins inside on the door while carefully filling the pan with enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully transfer the pan to the center oven rack.
Bake the flans for 50 minutes or until edges are set and the center retains a slight jiggle. Use tongs to carefully transfer ramekins to a rack to cool completely. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
Set ramekins in a shallow dish of hot water to soften caramel. Run a small offset spatula around the outside edge of each ramekin and invert the custard over a plate. If the custard doesn't come out, break the suction by tapping gently or encourage the flan by gently pressing one edge with an offset spatula. Serve immediately.
Notes
Optional: If your ramekins have a crystallized layer of caramel remaining after removing the custard, simply warm in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften. Coat the back of 2 spoons with the hot caramel and press them together. Quickly pull them apart to form strands of sugar. Repeat this until you have thin strands of caramelized sugar. Place the sugar work on top of the flan and serve immediately.Make Ahead: Flans can be covered and refrigerated for 4 days.