Vanilla Flan (Spanish-style)

🌟 Difficulty	⏱️ Time	🍽️ Serves	🔪 Skill level
★★ Easy	1 hr + chilling	6–8	Beginner

Easy summer recipe discovered through my Spanish neighbor (thnx!) Really fast to prepare but needs to be prepared a day ahead!

Ingredients

For the flan:

• 1 can (397 g) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/3 of the above can filled with milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the caramel:

• ½ cup sugar
• A few tsp water

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 180°C (fan). Fill a wide oven dish with water to 1/3 height and let warm.

2. Prepare Caramel: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat until it turns golden caramel, being careful not to burn. Pour caramel into a cake mold, coating the bottom and slightly the edges.

3. Make Flan Mixture: Beat together the condensed milk, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the caramel in the mold.

4. Bake (Bain-Marie): Place the mold into the warm water bath and bake for ~30 minutes. Check for set; center should be slightly wobbly.

5. Cool & Chill: Remove from oven, let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

6. Serve: Carefully unmold onto a serving plate. Pour any leftover caramel over the flan. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Tips & Variations

• Use a non-stick or silicone mold for easier unmolding.

• Add a touch of orange or lemon zest to the flan mixture for extra aroma.

• For mini servings, use individual ramekins and adjust baking time.