Syrup cooling time not included. The finished flans are like a light, delicious cheesecake. The chilled flans will pop right out of nonstick muffin pans or a soft silicone mold, or you can bake and serve in 6-ounce porcelain ramekins. From ¡BAJA! COOKING ON THE EDGE by author and chef Deborah Schneider.
Ingredients: [‘honey’, ‘fresh sage leaf’, ‘orange’, ‘cream cheese’, ‘eggs’, ‘sweetened condensed milk’, ‘milk’, ‘pure vanilla extract’, ‘berries’]
Quantity of Ingredients: [“”,”1/2 cup honey (mesquite or other dark honey) or 1/2 cup agave syrup (mesquite or other dark honey)”,”1 fresh sage leaf”,”1 large orange”,””,”1 lb cream cheese, softened (16 ounces)”,”7 large eggs”,”2 cups sweetened condensed milk (16 ounces)”,”1 cup milk”,”1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract”,” fresh berries (garnish optional) or peach (garnish optional)”]
Number of Servings: 1
Steps: [‘Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the honey and sage. Remove long strips of zest from the orange with a vegetable peeler and add to the honey (reserve the rest of the orange for another use). Place over medium-low heat until warm. Let steep, off the heat, for several hours or overnight. Remove and discard the zest and sage.’, ‘Make the flan: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Set 10 (6-ounce) straight-sided soufflé dishes in a roasting pan just large enough to hold them.’, ‘In a blender, combine the cream cheese, eggs, condensed milk, milk, and vanilla; process until very smooth. Divide the mixture evenly among the dishes.’, ‘Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the dishes.’, ‘Bake the flans for 40 to 50 minutes, or until they are no longer liquid, feel barely firm in the center, and jiggle only slightly when moved. Remove from the water bath, cool, and chill.’, ‘If you wish to turn out the flans, hold a dessert plate firmly over each mold and quickly turn upside down. Drizzle the tops with the honey and garnish with the fruit.’, ‘Note: The flan may be baked in one large dish, instead of individually. Increase the baking time to 1 1/2 hours.’]