I grew up loving flan. My mum has a PhD in making this caramel-doused dessert. I remember the impatience that accompanied every baking session. Barely had the pan come out of the oven when my brothers and I launched a strike at the still-hot custard, not able to wait a minute longer for it to cool down.
I like custards in general – whether delicate and cozy inside ramekins, luscious underneath a sugary crackle or sitting proudly on a pool of amber syrup.
Now with a child of my own, I shared this predilection with my son by baking some petits pots de creme. They fall right in between a rich creme brulee and a sturdy flan. The difference among the three is essentially the cream-milk-egg ratio. Creme Brulee is made with heavy cream and egg yolks. Pot de Creme has half milk, half cream plus egg yolks. Flan, also known as Creme Caramel, has more milk than cream, whole eggs and egg yolks.
Now asked whether he preferred vanilla or chocolate, my son replied, “Both!” So we worked on two. Why not? I’m not about to go stingy with sharing the love.
xxx
Karima
