CuisineNet Cafe: MODERN MEXICAN CHOCOLATE FLAN with Kahlúa

by Marjorie Ingall

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MODERN MEXICAN CHOCOLATE FLAN with Kahlúa
(Makes 6 individual flans)

Flan de Chocolate con Kahlúa

There is nothing more welcomed than the silkiness of a perfect baked custard at the end of a full-flavored meal. And when each bite is shrouded in unadorned caramely sweetness, as it is for flan or caramel custard or creme caramel, the glow of spiciness fades happily to sweet memory.

Mexican flan was traditionally made with boiled-down milk spiked with sugar and canela until sweetened condensed milk came along. Now, many cooks rely on that canned milk's stickiness to give body and boiled-milk flavor to flan--but it's a flan that comes out dense. Truth is, I prefer that lighter texture of whole egg yolks, mostly milk rather than cream and no boiling.

Historically, Mexico's native chocolate has never moved much from its well-known role as beverage. Mexican chocolate doesn't really melt, making it difficult to use in desserts. But steeping the chocolate in the milk for this modern twist on a classic helps to dissolve it. Be careful in the baking: too high a heat or too long in the oven will turn the custard firm and curdy, with little holes all around.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup milk

A generous 3/4 cup (4 1/2 ounces) chopped Mexican chocolate

1 inch cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican canela

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon Kahlúa or other coffee liqueur

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1. Caramelizing the molds. Set six 5- to 6-ounce custard cups into a baking pan deep enough to hold about 2 inches of water.
2. Measure 1/2 cup of the sugar into a small (1- to 1 1/2-quart), heavy saucepan. Dribble in 1/4 cup water and stir several times. Bring to a boil, wash down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in water, then simmer over medium heat without stirring, until the syrup begins to color. Swirl the pan continually over the heat until the syrup is an even, deep amber. Working carefully, immediately divide the caramel among the custard cups, then tilt the cups to distribute the caramel over the bottom and a bit up the sides.
3. The custard. Pour the half-and-half and the milk into a medium-size (2 1/2- to 3-quart) saucepan. Pulse the chocolate in a food processor until pulverized. Add to the milk, along with the cinnamon stick and remaining 1/3 cup of the sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then cover, remove from the heat and let steep for 20 minutes.
4. Whisk the eggs, Kahlúa, vanilla and almond extracts in a large mixing bowl until combined, then slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or pitcher with a spout, then divide the mixture among the molds.
5. Baking the flans. Turn on the oven to 325 degrees. Pour about 2 inches of very hot water into the pan around the filled molds. Lay a sheet of foil over the molds (don't crimp or seal it--too much heat will build up), and bake in the middle level of the oven just until the custard has barely set (a knife inserted halfway between the edge and the center will come out clean), about 25 minutes. Let cool in the water bath, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly.
6. To unmold, run a nonserrated knife around the edge of each mold, penetrating to the bottom, then twist the mold back and forth to ensure that the custard will move freely. Invert a serving plate over each mold, then reverse the two and listen for the flan to drop. Scrape out any clinging caramel onto the flans, and they're ready to serve.
- Flans keep several days refrigerated and covered.
- Classic Vanilla Flan: Omit the chocolate and increase the sugar in Step 2 to 1/2 cup. Replace the Kahlúa with brandy, increase the vanilla to 1 1/2 teaspoons and omit the almond extract.
- Coffee Flan: Replace the chocolate with 1/4 cup dark-roasted ground coffee and increase the sugar in Step 2 to 1/2 cup; steep and strain as directed.
- Double Caramel Flan: After caramelizing the molds, caramelize an additional 1/2 cup sugar, then pour in the half-and-half and milk. Stir over medium heat until the caramel is dissolved. Omit the chocolate, but steep with the cinnamon. Replace the Kahlúa with brandy, increase the vanilla to 1 1/2 teaspoons and omit the almond extract.
- Tangerine Flan: Omit the chocolate and increase the sugar in Step 2 to 1/2 cup. Replace 1/2 cup of the milk with fresh tangerine juice and add the zest from 2 tangerines before steeping. Replace the Kahlúa with orange liqueur and omit the almond extract.
From Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless and Jean Marie Brownson (Scribner: 1996).
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