The Broke Baker

Tag: custard

  • Pressure Cooker Chocolate and Irish Cream Flan

    Pressure Cooker Chocolate and Irish Cream Flan

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    One of my older sisters doesn’t make it a secret that she really doesn’t know how to cook.  It’s not that she is proud of it, but she is just very matter-of-fact about it.  Since getting married, though, she has decided to make more of an effort in learning her way around the kitchen.  So, for last Christmas, she asked for an Instant Pot as a gift, for which the family happily obliged.  She was ecstatic when she received it, and then proceeded to stuff it in her closet, too afraid to use it.

    Fast forward to present-day, and I decided to take advantage of my plans to visit her in Houston to give her a crash course on the Art of the Instant Pot.  Of the many recipes that I think that someone should have up their sleeves, an easy dessert that’s potluck-friendly is one of them.  I told her we were going to make flan, and she didn’t seem all that excited.  So, I decided to sweeten the pot and appeal to her past life as a bartender.  I proposed that we make a chocolate and Irish Cream flan, and that definitely got her attention.  When she sat down and tasted the fruit of our labors, she said that it was the best flan that she has ever had in her life.

    At home, I have a flan pan (flanera) that I use to make flans.  However, my sis doesn’t have one, so we used a glass baking dish.  The flan was a little bit too soft in the middle, so I would add another 2 minutes or so of pressure keeping time if you’re going to use glass to make your flan.  And remember, oven-safe glass only!

    You can omit the cocoa powder to make just an Irish Cream flan, and you can also replace the Irish Cream with additional half-and-half to make this just a chocolate flan.

    Pressure Cooker Chocolate and Irish Cream Flan

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 1/2 cups half and half
    • 1/2 cup Irish Cream
    • 3 eggs
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed if you have it)

    Directions

    In a small saucepan, melt the sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently.  When the sugar has melted and turned amber, remove from heat and add the 2 tbsp of water (careful, it will steam and splatter).  Carefully stir until the sugar and water are combined, then pour into the bottom of a flan pan or round baking dish.  Set aside to cool.

    In a blender, add the remaining ingredients, then blend at medium speed until combined.  Pour over the cooled caramelized sugar in the flan pan or baking dish.

    Pour 1 cup of water into the liner of your pressure cooker.  Cover your flan pan or baking dish, place on a trivet, then lower into the liner of your pressure cooker.  Seal and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 12 minutes (add another 2 minutes or so if using a glass baking dish), then allow the pressure to release naturally for another 12 minutes before removing the the flan from the pressure cooker.  Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

    To serve, run a thin knife along the edge of the flan, then flip the pan over onto a plate, gently shaking the flan loose.

    Makes about 8 servings

  • Pressure Cooker Red Velvet Flan

    Pressure Cooker Red Velvet Flan

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    My boss hates flan, but loves anything red velvet.  When I asked her what she thought of a red velvet flan, she was like “H’mm…I might try that.”Sadly, Google wasn’t very helpful in locating a recipe for red velvet flan that looked promising.  So, I devised my own.

    Making a red velvet flan posed a bit of a challenge at first.  The two primary flavors that come together to make that classic and recognizable “red velvet” flavor are cocoa powder and buttermilk.  So, I knew that I wanted to include buttermilk in the flan, but in a way that wouldn’t make it curdle or taste too sour.  I found that I could safely replace a fourth of the milk with buttermilk, and replaced the rest of the milk with half-and-half so that the additional fat content would discourage curdling.

    Since owning a pressure cooker, flan is one of the many dishes that I have discovered that a pressure cooker excels at making.  The moist heat of the pressure gives it a smooth and silky texture in about half the time of oven baking.  I highly recommend using a flanera (flan plan), which has a lid that locks in place to protect your flan.  I know some people use a pyrex dish or cake pan covered in foil, and that should also work.  You can also bake the flan in the oven if you don’t have a pressure cooker.  Just bake at 350° for about an hour in a water bath.

    Melt the sugar in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat.  Once the sugar is melted and dark amber, remove from heat and add water.  It will bubble, steam, and sizzle furiously, so be careful.  Once you can get your hand close, stir until the water and sugar are combined, and then pour it into your flan mold.

    The rest of the ingredients can go in your blender.

    And blend until smooth.

    Pour this mixture in your prepared flan pan (or making dish) and cover in foil.  Place on a trivet in your pressure cooker filled with about 1 cup of water, then cook on manual (high pressure) for 12 minutes.  After the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for another 10-15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure (if any) and remove the flan from the pressure cooker.  Uncover and allow to cool completely before refrigerating.  Let is refrigerate at least overnight before you remove the red velvet flan from the pan.

    Red Velvet Flan

    The food coloring kind of bleeds into the caramel and dyes it red, which I think adds some visual impact.

    red velvet flan slice

    There are a few air bubbles here and there, but the overall texture of this red velvet flan is very smooth and creamy.  Best of all, it tastes like actual red velvet!

    Red Velvet Flan

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup white sugar
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
    • 1/2 cup buttermilk
    • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
    • 1 tbsp red food coloring
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Directions

    In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the sugar until it melts and turns medium amber.  Remove from heat and add the water (careful, as it may splatter), stirring until combined.  Quickly pour the mixture into a flan pan or baking dish.  Set aside.

    Using a blender, combine the condensed milk, half-and-half, buttermilk, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and food coloring until smooth and uniform.  Pour mixture into prepared pan and cover.  Set pan on a trivet and lower into pressure cooker filled with 1 cup of water.

    Cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 12 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes.  Remove the flan from the pressure cooker, uncover, and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.  Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight before serving.

    To unmold: Run a thin bladed knife around the inside of the flan pan to loosen the flan, then invert onto a baking dish (or a deep plate).  Lift the flan pan upward off the dish, shaking gently to loosen the flan.

    Oven Directions: Same as above, except use an 8″ or 9″ round pan.  Bake uncovered in a water bath at 350° for about an hour, or until center is only slightly jiggly.

  • Eggnog Creme Brulee

    Eggnog Creme Brulee

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    Is there any beverage more “holiday” than eggnog?  I didn’t think so.  Take that, Pumpkin Spiced Lattes!  To be honest, I don’t actually drink eggnog too much.  I do, however, enjoy the occasional scoop of eggnog ice cream around this time of year.

    That was the inspiration for this creme brulee.  I wanted to capture the essence of this traditional holiday beverage in a dessert.  My first attempt used the ingredients to make an actual eggnog, but the finished product didn’t taste enough like eggnog for me.  I managed to solve this by substituting half of the cream with actual eggnog.  This brought out the taste of eggnog in the dish, without ruining the delicate texture of a classic creme brulee. (more…)

  • Flan

    Flan

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    Flan, or creme caramel, is one of those things that you either love or hate.  I didn’t like it at first, but then grew to love it.  I have a soft spot for custard-based desserts, so it’s right up my alley.  The premise is simple.  Fill the bottom of a ramekin with caramelized sugar, fill it with custard, bake, and then flip it over onto a plate and enjoy! (more…)