Creme Caramel / Flan

This is one of my favorite desserts and the funny thing was that I used to hate it when I was a kid!  What was I thinking?! If you have never had creme caramel before, this is the time to try it.  It is a sweet custard dessert, surrounded by a shallow pool of caramel.  Creme caramel comes from the same family as creme brulee.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar - for the caramel
  
• 3 eggs
• 14 oz condensed milk
• 12 oz evaporated milk
• 1 tbsn french vanilla extract

Directions: for the caramel

• Put sugar in a saucepan and melt on medium heat until gold brown and liquid
• Pour in a baking bowl / ramekin and leave to cool and harden
• Preheat oven to 350F

Directions for custard:

• Beat the eggs in a large bowl
• Pour in evaporated milk, then condensed milk
• Add french vanilla extract
• Pour the custard mix into the caramel lined baking bowl/ramekins
• Half-way fill a 13 x9 baking pan with water and place baking bowl/ramekins in it
• Place in oven and bake at 350F for 1 hour

Notes:

• You can also use 2 cups of whole milk or 2 cups of evaporated milk and a  1/4 cup sugar to replace the 2 cans of milk in the recipe above.  If you make this change, use 2 eggs instead of 3 and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
  
• You can use a Pyrex bowl (8x8) for baking the creme caramel in and use a metal baking pan for the water bath.
• Baking times may vary by 5 to 10 minutes depending on your oven so test the dish after 40 minutes with a toothpick...if it comes out clean, then the creme caramel is done. 
• Place in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving