BRAZILIAN FLAN (PUDIM DE LEITE CONDENSADO)

Steps:

• 1. Tip: You will need a blender, a pan to make the caramelized sugar sauce, Bain-marie (hot water bath), and a flan form. I have used an Bundt cake pan, but that doesn't work as well. You can use a round cake pan as well, it just won't have a hole in the center, which is nice to have to hold the sauce. Although it is not absolutely required, I use aluminum foil to cover the pan.
• 2. 1. For the sauce, you cook the sugar (stirring constantly) in a pan over medium heat until it is melted down and is a nice golden brown. This can be tricky because you need to take care not to burn the sugar.
• 3. 2. When you get the sugar melted down completely, then you will stir in the water. Adjust the heat to low, and keep stirring until the sauce is smooth.
• 4. 3. Then pour the sauce into the bottom of the flan form/pan. Swirl it around to get an even coverage over the entire bottom of the pan. The sauce should harden up a bit. You may have to move quickly to get the pan covered before it hardens.
• 5. 4. For the flan portion, just put the eggs, milks, and vanilla into the blender and blend it for about 1 minute. You will pour the mixture into the flan form/pan (over the caramelized sugar) later.
• 6. 5. Once the sauce is fairly hardened (not runny), then pour the flan mixture into the form over the sauce.
• 7. 6. Cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil. Place the pan in another pan filled with enough hot water for it to just barely float (hot water bath).
• 8. 7. Place pans in the oven preheated to 350 degrees and cook for 40 to 45 min. When done, a toothpick when inserted into the flan will come out clean.
• 9. 8. You will need to place the cooked flan in the refrigerator for a few hours to cool down.
• 10. 9. Gently, run a knife along the edges of the flan and pan.
• 11. 10. Then take a plate, wide enough to comfortably accommodate the flan, place it onto the pan and then flip the pan and plate. The flan should settle/drop onto the plate.
• 12. 11. Once you have the flan on the plate, then scrape the sauce left in the pan into the center of the flan. At this point it is ready to enjoy.