Vanilla Flan

February 25, 2015

There’s nothing quite like a light, delicately sweet flan to end any meal–from a casual weeknight dinner to a holiday feast fit for royalty.  Don’t let its elegant presentation intimidate you–it doesn’t get easier than this one.

Makes 4-5 servings

Ingredient List:

  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened organic almond or soy milk
  • 2 teaspoons brown rice syrup
  • grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, pulp removed
  • pinch sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons agar flakes
  • 1 tablespoon kuzu or arrowroot, dissolved in small amount cold water

Glaze

  • 5 tablespoons barley malt
  • 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Step By Step Instructions:

Place milk, rice syrup, lemon zest, vanilla pulp, salt and agar in a saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring, frequently, until agar dissolves about 20 minutes. Stir in dissolved kuzu, stirring until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Spoon mixture into 4-5 lightly oiled 5-6 ounce custard cups or ramekins. Set aside for 20 minutes. Then place in refrigerator until firmly set, about an hour. To serve, invert ramekins onto individual serving plates. Make the glaze by combining barley malt, rice syrup and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a high boil, foaming. Remove from heat, whisk in lemon juice and cool for 1-2 minutes. Whisk to loosen and spoon over each flan. Serve garnished with fresh mint leaves or seasonal berries.
  
Cook’s Tip: to easily invert flan, quickly run the bottom of the ramekin under hot water, taking care not to run water on the flan itself. This will allow the flan to release quickly.