Both my maternal and paternal grandmothers were the dessert masters of the family. My maternal grandmother was the queen of the “natilla” (vanilla pudding), “arroz con leche” (rice pudding) and “pudin de pan”(bread pudding). My paternal grandmother, hands down, the queen of the Flan. She would come over to the house every weekend to visit and hang out with us, and at least once a month she’d bring a flan or two, thanks to my dad, whose sweet tooth was a force to be reckoned with. I called her earlier today to catch up and get her definitive recipe. It is pretty much the traditional recipe. Nonetheless, there was something about hers that’s out of this world.
The proper baking method for a flan is in a water bath. Be sure to have a baking dish on hand that is deep enough so the water level reaches level of the custard in the pan you’re baking the flan in. A large aluminum roasting pan is my suggestion.
