Coconut Flan

PREP TIME

15 min

TOTAL TIME

1 h 15 min

Serves

* PLUS cooling time

(Recipes by: Diala Canelo; produced by: Chantal Braganza and Sun Ngo; Photography by Carmen Cheung; food styling by Sage Dakota; prop styling by Christine Hanlon; hair and makeup by Wendy Rorong; clothing courtesy of horsesatelier.com)

When cookbook author Diala Canelo was growing up in Santo Domingo, every celebration, birthday and Sunday lunch would end with a delicious flan. This one is made with coconut milk, which creates a velvety- smooth custard and adds a rich tropical flavour.

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 400-mL can full-fat coconut milk
400 mL sweetened condensed milk
1 350-mL can evaporated milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp white rum
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

Instructions

Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 325°F.
Pour sugar into a large frying pan set over medium. Using a rubber spatula, stir constantly until sugar is melted and turns into a golden-brown caramel. If sugar is browning too fast, reduce heat to medium-low.
Immediately pour caramel into a 9-in. flan pan or round baking dish, tilting the dish as you pour so that the caramel coats the bottom and side of the pan. (Work quickly, as the caramel will start to set.) Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in milks, vanilla and rum. (Or combine all the ingredients in a blender and whirl until combined, about 30 sec.) Pour custard mixture over cooled caramel in dish.
Prepare a water bath by placing the flan pan in a larger baking dish or roasting pan. Slide prepared baking dish into oven, then pour enough hot water into the dish to come halfway up the side (about 2 in.) of the flan pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the flan comes out clean, about 1 hr.
Remove water bath from oven and transfer flan pan to a wire rack. Let cool completely. Loosely cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight until well chilled.
When ready to serve, set flan pan on a rimmed baking sheet filled with 1/2 in. of hot water. Let stand for 5 min. (This will make it easier to unmould the flan.)
To serve, run a knife around the edge of the flan to loosen it. Place a large round rimmed platter rim over the flan; invert pan and platter, letting flan drop onto the platter and the caramel sauce to flow over and around the custard. Scatter strawberries overtop. (Toasted coconut shaving or sliced stone fruits also make great toppings.)