WOW — who knew that you all loved flan so much?!

After I posted the Fam Din about V’s birthday flan, I got flooded with requests for the recipe! I don’t blame you, it really was quite lusciously delicious.

I consulted with Big Seestrah, since the original recipe was her F.I.L.’s and she obliged saying that she had tweaked it enough to make it her own.

Now a quick forewarning for all of you Vietnamese Flan (“kem flan” or “bánh flan”) aficionados. This recipe does not contain any condensed milk or coconut milk like many traditional Vietnamese versions do. And quite frankly, I think that’s one of the reasons why I like it so much since it’s not too sweet. Plus I have a theory that the consistency of both coconut milk and condensed milk make for a heavier flan that’s more likely to cause large bubbles.

I have no scientific backing on that theory…just a hunch.

You can choose to make larger dishes of flan or individual sized ones like seester did above. Just be sure to adjust for baking time depending on the vessel. But either way, super delish.

Oh! And if you’re not a rum fan, you can sub with any booziness you’d like — or just skip it! But as for me, I say HECK YES to rum as it pairs so well with the caramel.

Thanks for sharing Seester N!!!

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Creamy Rum Flan
Serves approximately 10

Ingredients:

2½ cups granulated sugar, divided
5 cups whole milk
5 large eggs
3 ounces dark rum*

Place 10 ramekins (4-6 ounces) or 2 baking dishes in 2 roasting pans. You’ll need the roasting pans to create a water bath later.

In a small, heavy bottomed pot, add in 1½ cups sugar. Over medium heat, cook the sugar until it caramelizes and becomes golden brown. Be sure to stir often. Once the sugar has reached the desired color, quickly pour the caramel into the bottoms of each ramekin/dish. Swirl each so that it completely covers the bottom of each vessel. Set aside and allow the caramel to cool.

In another pot, whisk the milk and remaining sugar over medium heat. Continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved and the liquids come to a soft boil. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and rum together until combined. Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the eggs. Pour the custard into the prepared ramekins/dish and cover with aluminum foil. Place the roasting pans in the middle rack of a preheated 380 degrees F oven. Carefully fill the roasting pans with boiling water to come halfway up the sides of each ramekin/dish.

Bake the flan for approximately 45-60 minutes or until the center has just barely set. The length of cook time will depend on the sizes of your ramekins/baking dishes. Once done, remove the flan from the water bath and allow to cool on racks until they reach room temperature. Cover each the flan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Once you’re ready to serve, carefully run a hot pairing knife around the edge of the flan. Place a rimmed plate or serving platter on top and quickly invert. Serve with fresh berries, whipped cream, etc.

*You can add less or more rum to taste. However, if you choose to omit you can substitute with 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract.