How To Make A Coconut Cream Cheese Caramel Flan/Crème Caramel

A decadent Coconut Cream Cheese Caramel Flan is on the agenda in this week’s “fauncy” episode of How To? Foodie Nation:

Yield: 10 Portions INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Sugar 2 Tsp Lemon Juice 8 oz of Cream Cheese, room temperature 5 Whole Eggs 1½ Cups Evaporated Milk 2 Tbsp Coconut Powder 1¾ Cup Condensed Milk 2 Tsp Vanilla Essence 2 Tbsp Desiccated Coconut

METHOD

1. Prepare a 9-inch glass bowl by washing and drying properly. Set aside.

2. Fill a kettle with water and bring to the boiling point and set aside also.

3. Place a small sauté pan over low to medium heat and drizzle in the sugar followed by the lemon juice.

4. Allow the sugar to warm gently and as the ends begin to darken and bubble slightly, stir with a wooden spoon to distribute heat onto the sugar. Cook for an additional 1½ - 2 minutes until a very light golden sugar syrup develops.

5. Immediately pour this caramel syrup into the glass bowl and tilt in a circular motion, to allow the syrup to evenly coat the base of the bowl. Set aside to cool.

6. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. In KitchenAid’s blender jug, place in the softened cream cheese followed by all other ingredients with the exception of the desiccated coconut.

8. Blend the ingredients on level 2 for 45 – 50 seconds until a smooth consistency is yielded.

9. Pour this creamy mixture into the bowl with the now hardened sugar caramel base.

10. Sprinkle on the desiccated coconut onto the surface of the crème caramel and place this glass bowl into a high sided baking tray or bain-marie. Pour the hot water from the kettle into the baking tray to allow the water to come up halfway alongside the glass bowl.

11. Bake for 1 hour to allow the cream to set to a firm but light jiggly consistency.

12. Remove the tray/bain-marie from the oven and let crème caramel sit in the water for 10 minutes, then remove the glass bowl and place in the chiller to allow the dessert to set for a minimum of 5 hours to overnight.

13. To serve, run the back of a small knife alongside the edges of the cold crème caramel to dislodge it from the glass bowl, then place a wide serving tray on top the bowl and carefully invert the dessert onto the serving tray. There would be some loose caramel liquid that runs off to the sides when flipped.

14. Cut a slice of the crème caramel and serve on a tea plate and enjoy.