Cream Cheese Flan

Flan or "Creme Caramel" as it is sometimes referred to, was a popular desert in Latin America and now is enjoyed world wide. Flan is a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top, as opposed to crème brûlée, which is custard with a hard caramel top. This recipe makes 2 Flans and is very delicious and easy to prepare.

Cream Cheese Flan

Makes 2 large Flans*, serves 16


Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 C. sugar
1 ½ C. water
3 ½ C. WHOLE milk, divided (no substitutes)
2 – 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla paste or 2 tsp. PURE vanilla extract, divided
1 – 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature, diced, divided
10 large eggs (5 each Flan)
Mixed berries or Kiwi, for garnish (optional)

Position 1 rack in bottom third of oven and 1 rack in the center and preheat to 375^. Spray two 9 – inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with vegetable oil spray; set aside. I use the nonstick cake pans.

Combine sugar and water in a heavy, stainless steel 2 - quart saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is a deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 30 minutes. Pour half of caramel mixture into 1 prepared cake pan. Using oven mitts and working quickly, tilt and swirl pan to coat sides and bottom of pans. Repeat with remaining caramel and second cake pan. Set pans aside.

In a 5 to 6 – cup-capacity blender, combine 1 ¾ cups whole milk, 1 can condensed milk and 1-teaspoon vanilla paste; blend 15 seconds. With machine running, add half the cream cheese, 1 cube at a time and blend until smooth. Add 5 eggs, one at a time blending only 5 seconds after each addition. Pour custard into 1 prepared pan**. Repeat above direction for 2nd Flan.

Place each pan in a separate roasting pan**. Pour enough HOT water into each pan to come halfway up the sides of the custard-filled pan.

Bake Flans until set in center (will jiggle slightly in the center), about 45 mins or until set. Lift each pan from water bath and place hot Flans, uncovered, in refrigerator; chill overnight.

Before serving, cut around Flans to loosen. Invert platter over Flan; hold platter and pan together and turn over. Let sit a minute or so to allow Flan to settle onto platter and caramel syrup to pour out over the Flan. Using a small sharp knife, loosen any hard caramel from pan bottom. Crack caramel into pieces and garnish Flan with the pieces. Repeat with the second Flan. Serve immediately or chill up to 6 hours. Serve with berries and or Kiwi, if desired.

*Recipe can be cut in half recipe to make one Flan. It will not take as long to caramelize the sugar. Use a smaller saucepan and watch carefully.

**Place the prepared cake pan in the roasting pan. When ready to pour in the custard, place the roasting pan with the cake pan inside, on the bottom rack of oven: pour in the custard; pour hot water into roasting pan to come up about half way up the sides of cake pan, being careful NOT to get any water in the custard. Close oven and repeat the process for the second Flan. The first one in the oven may get done a few minutes before the second one.