Mom’s Famous Leche Flan

I never thought I’d get permission to post this recipe, but here it is! My mom’s leche flan (literally milk custard) is famous in our hometown Filipino community. It’s the one thing people always expected or asked her to bring to parties. It’s thicker and denser than Mexican flan, which I always find bland and disappointing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

INGREDIENTS
8 egg yolks
2 cups evaporated milk
1 tsp. lemon extract or lemon zest
1 cup sugar
Extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar to caramelize before adding the rest of the mixture

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place all ingredients in a bowl and use a hand or stand mixer to mix the custard together. To ensure the smoothness of the custard, you should strain the mixture while before pouring it into the baking dish or mold.
3. Place extra sugar in a small pan and heat it over medium heat until the sugar melts and browns.
4. Pour melted sugar into your baking pan or mold so it coats the bottom.
5. Add custard mixture to your baking pan or mold on top of the carmelized sugar.
6. Cover the baking pan or mold with foil and place it into a water bath (i.e. a bigger pan with about 1/2 inch of water in it). This is essential for cooking the leche flan properly.
7. Bake at 375 for approximately an hour.
8. Check with a toothpick or nudge the pan to see if the mixture is almost solid.
9. Remove the foil and cook uncovered for 20 more minutes.
10. Remove from oven and let cool on the counter. You can also refrigerate the leche flan after it reaches room temperature if you’re making this a day ahead of time.
11. When you are ready to serve, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the flan.
12. Place a serving plate on top of the pan and invert it quickly. Be careful not to spill! When properly executed, the flan will be golden brown on top and yellowish on the bottom.
13. Enjoy!