flan

(flăn, flän, fläN)
n.

1. A tart with a filling of custard, fruit, or cheese.
2. See crème caramel.
3. A metal disk to be stamped as a coin; a blank.

[French, from Old French flaon, from Late Latin fladō, fladōn-, flat cake, of Germanic origin.]

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(Baked Custard)

Recipe origin: Cuba

Ingredients

FLAN:

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup water
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CARAMEL COATING:

• ½ cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 2 Tablespoons water

Procedure

CARAMEL COATING:

1. Measure sugar, butter, and water into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until bubbly and caramel brown. Be careful not to burn the mixture.
2. Pour into a warm baking dish, reserving a small amount to drizzle on top of finished flan. Roll dish to coat the sides completely with the caramel.

FLAN:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all flan ingredients and pour into a 2-quart baking dish that has been lined with a caramel coating (procedure above).
3. Place pan in a larger pan that contains water. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, or until pudding is soft set.
4. Chill. Drizzle caramel on top when serving.

(Custard)

Recipe origin: Spain

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups sugar
• 3½ cups milk
• 6 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ¼ teaspoon lemon rind, grated

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In a saucepan, heat ½ cup of the sugar over low heat, stirring frequently until the sugar melts completely and turns amber (golden).
3. Pour it into a 1½ quart (6-cup) ring mold, tilting the mold in all directions to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
4. Break the 6 eggs into a mixing bowl.
5. Separate the remaining 2 eggs. To separate the yolk from the white, break the egg over a small bowl or cup and allow the whites to drip out of the shell halves, then transfer the yolk back and forth between the 2 halves until all of the egg's whites have dripped into the bowl.
6. Place the egg yolks into a separate bowl. and keep yolks. (The whites may be discarded or used for another purpose). Add the 2 egg yolks to the other 6 eggs.
7. Beat eggs until blended. Add the rest of the sugar and the grated lemon rind; beat again. Set aside.
8. Measure the milk into a saucepan and warm it over medium heat, but do not allow it to boil.
9. Gradually stir the heated milk into the beaten eggs and sugar.
10. Pour the mixture into the ring mold. Place mold in a larger pan with about one-inch of hot water in it. Transfer to oven.
11. Bake for 1 hour. Flan is done when a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean.
12. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When cool, chill in refrigerator.
13. To serve, run a knife around the sides of the mold (to loosen the custard).
14. Put a large plate on top of the mold and carefully turn the mold onto the plate; the custard should gently slide out. Lift off the mold.

Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe origin: Peru

Ingredients

• ¼ cup sugar, plus ¾ cup sugar
• 4 drops lemon juice
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 eggs

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a small saucepan, heat ¼ cup sugar and drops of lemon juice over low heat until mixture is dark brown, like caramel syrup. (Don't worry if syrup burns a little.)
3. Pour into a flan mold (oven-proof straight-sided souffle dish or individual molds work nicely), covering all sides and bottom with the sugar syrup.
4. Place in the refrigerator while preparing flan.
5. Bring milk and vanilla to a boil in a small pot over low heat.
6. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the eggs and ¾ cup sugar, beating well.
7. Slowly add the egg and sugar mixture to the boiled milk.
8. Pour into refrigerated mold. Place flan mold into a larger baking dish. Add water to a depth of about one inch, and carefully place in the oven.
9. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Flan is done when knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Cool and remove from mold. Serve chilled.

Serves 4 to 6.

Carnavales (kar-nah-VAH-lays; Carnival) is an elaborately celebrated national holiday that takes place a few days before Lent. It is the last opportunity for people to drink and dance before the fasting period of Lent begins, when such activities are not allowed. During these few days, some practice native traditions of rounding up wild game to present to a priest or mayor, who in return provides chichi and cocoa leaves. The offering of the animals dates back several hundred years to the Incas, who used to give offerings of food to the gods in hope for a good harvest. Papas a la huancaína (potatoes with cheese) is a popular meal during Carnival.

Open fruit tart, on a base of pastry or sponge.

[FLAHN] 1. A famous Spanish baked custard coated with caramel. See also crème caramel. 2. A round pastry tart with a filling that's sweet (such as custard or fruit) or savory (vegetable, meat or savory custard). The pastry is usually formed and baked in a special flan ring, a bottomless metal ring with straight (about 11⁄2-inch-high) sides. The flan ring is set on a baking sheet before the dough is baked.

For a list of words related to flan, see:

• Desserts

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See words rhyming with "flan."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Flan.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - tærte, blanket

Nederlands (Dutch)
vlaai, metalen plaatje van munt/medaille etc.

Français (French)
n. - (Culin) tarte

Deutsch (German)
n. - Kuchen, Metallscheibe (der Münze)

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - αδιαμόρφωτος δίσκος νομίσματος, ροδάντζα

Italiano (Italian)
sfornato

Português (Portuguese)
n. - espécie de pudim (m)

Русский (Russian)
оладья

Español (Spanish)
n. - tarta, tarta de frutas, flan, disco de metal para acuñar monedas

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - mördegsbotten

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
果馅饼, 模子

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 果餡餅, 模子

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 파이, 화폐용 금속판

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - フラン, 貨幣の地金

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) كعكه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עוגת גבינה, עוגת פירות, דיסקית מתכת‬

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