OH YES. The holidays are for eating rich, custard-y things. I feel like I say the same thing about summer (hello, old friend ice cream), but the custards of the holidays have warming spices. And without warming spices, we would surely freeze to death. Did you catch that?: If you don't eat this gingerbread flan, you might die. Dessert = justified.
I grew up around a lot of flan in Texas; I think it's on every Tex-Mex restaurant dessert menu, but I never reached for it. I've never really been a big egg person. My Mom made me fall in love with hard boiled eggs drizzled with butter over toast a few years ago, but other than that, you won't find me eating too many egg-centric things. Yes, the yolk porn trend in the foodie world is totally lost on me. So is the 'put an egg on it' phase. I'd rather have fried tofu on top, thanks.
This blog teaches me new things all the time, and one of them is to try desserts that I have previously avoided for fear of their texture. I used to avoid bread pudding because of the eggs, but then I created a bread pudding recipe for my cookbook that is so good, I ate both servings before the photo shoot was even over (oops).
Anyway, I used to assume that avoiding egg-y desserts was just another way to keep the calories in check (or save the calories for lemon bars), so what's the harm? Answer: ALL THE HARM. Life is short. I must try every dessert out there. If a pastry chef dreamed it up, I want a bite or three. Every time I make caramel, my mind wanders to the French kitchen in which the various stages of sugar crystallization were mapped out. How many chefs did it take to realize the exact temperature of the soft ball stage of sugar? Then, the hard-crack phase? I'm endlessly fascinated by sugar. If you're in my life, 'Sugar' is my common pet name for you.
The life-saving properties of this flan include cinnamon, ginger cloves and nutmeg, but also: molasses. It's the only sweetener in the actual custard part, and I love its slightly bitter bite. The caramel that pours out on top of the dessert after a quick rest in the fridge overnight is more than enough sweetness for me. If you want it super sweet, substitute brown sugar for the molasses.
A delicious and warming spiced dessert for two.Gingerbread Flan
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 311Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 299mgSodium: 121mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 0gSugar: 37gProtein: 10g
Jessica @ Golden Brown and Delicious says
I made flan for Valentine's day dinner this past year, but I haven't made it since. That needs to be fixed, ASAP. This recipe looks killer!!
Erika says
Ohh this is legit sista! I love me some flan..
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
FIrst of all, I've never had flan before! What??? Second of all, I thought I hated gingerbread until I randomly tried it last year, and fell head over heels. Third, I love creamy desserts + eggs + (now) gingerbread, so I KNOW I'd be down with this. Plus, it's just SO picture-perfect!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
I can't wait to tell my husband that we HAVE to eat this custard, or we will in fact die. It's the perfect excuse to eat this! ;)
stephanie says
ooh i'm a huge fan of flan. and gingerbread. i haven't made flan before but this recipe is definitely tempting me!!
i can't believe you don't like eggs though!!!!!!!!!! although, i do love crispy fried tofu too :)
xoxo
Christina Lane says
Oh, I eat eggs in public. Especially at those fancy restaurants that put an egg on it. I just secretly wish for fried tofu ;)
sue/the view from great island says
I love love love the silky texture of flan, and now that you've included my favorite holiday flavors into it, I'm not going to rest until I make this...
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
I absolutely LOVE flan! It reminds me of the egg custard tarts I always coveted at dim sum restaurants. LOVE how you made this into a holiday flan with the spices!
Jill says
Yum! I recently made an egg-free, sweet potato-based flan. Totally weird twist, but it worked! This more traditional recipe would be such an impressive Thanksgiving dessert!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
I have yet to try making flan, but that definitely has to change with this gingerbread flan!
Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog says
Ok, I am totally needing to try this because I too used to have a fear of trying things based on texture...and one of biggest things I've been afraid of has been flan. Seriously! So now that I have a recipe from you (all your recipes turn out freaking spot on girl!) I'm going to dive right in!