{recipe} Creamy Caramel Flan

Weekly Test Recipes: Week 18!! (Playing catch-up this week...)

This first recipe for the week was part of my Cinco de Mayo celebration.  I decided to make a Mexican-style dessert, and this is what I came up with:

CREAMY CARAMEL FLAN (allrecipes)

3/4 cup white sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, cook sugar, stirring, until golden. Pour into a 10 inch round baking dish, tilting to coat bottom and sides. Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Beat in condensed and evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour into caramel coated pan. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place baking dish on towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish.  Bake in preheated oven 50 to 60 minutes, until center is just set. Cool one hour on wire rack, then chill in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. To unmold, run a knife around edges of pan and invert on a rimmed serving platter.

This was good, but nothing compared to cheesecake.  The jello-ish consistency bothered me a bit, and the eggy-custardy taste.  Just not as sweet as I expected.  Overall, I would probably rate this GOOD, but I probably won't ever make it again.


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CRANBERRY REFRESHER

1 1/4 c. cranberry juice
scant 1/2 c. orange juice
1 c. fresh raspberries (I used frozen)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Pour the cranberry juice and orange juice into a blender and process gently until combined.  Add the raspberries and lemon juice, and mix until smooth.  Pour into glasses and garnish with slices and spirals of fresh lemon or orange.  Serve immediately.

This was nice a refreshing.  I rate it EXCELLENT.