Lake Atitlan, Panajachel, Guatemala

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Family Flan and Family Dinners

Eating dinner together every night as a family is not an easy thing to do. It doesn't happen without a lot of effort and planning, but the effort is so worth it. Meals prepared at home from fresh basic ingredients are healthier and cheaper than eating out. Plus gathering over dinner at the end of a day builds relationships. With a pantry stocked with basics and armed with a dozen or so compatible recipes, anyone can do it. Begin today to create in your home the tradition of family dinnertime with its treasured memories.


I used to order flan in Mexican restaurants and treasure every delicious bite, thinking it was too difficult to make at home. Oh boy was I wrong. This method is easy and serves not just one but the whole family. And it tastes just as good as flan in the expensive restaurants.

Family Flan
Ingredients:
8 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
3 ½ cups evaporated milk (about 3 12-oz. cans)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup light brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs until yolks and whites are well-blended. Add granulated sugar and salt. Beat in evaporated milk and vanilla.

Sprinkle brown sugar in bottom of bread loaf pan; gently pour custard over brown sugar. Place loaf pan in shallow baking pan containing hot water. Bake for one hour in 350 degrees oven until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Refrigerate overnight. Run knife around edge of pan and turn out onto small, oven-proof platter. If you don’t have the right platter, you can fit flan into a ten-inch pie plate; may need to cut off ends so it fits. 

Bring to room temperature. Before serving place under broiler and brown for approximately five to ten minutes. Watch carefully and do not burn. Slice carefully and gently ease slices onto dessert plates. Serves ten.

14 comments:

  1. The highlight of our day is at the supper table. We have great chats about everybody's day and adventures. This is the best time of the day and to me Saturday night and Sunday dinner are the best. I love your recipe for "flan" - never heard of it, but sounds very tempting to try.

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    1. SaucyKod, I know what you mean. It was my constant effort when the children were home to create this kind of environment that you so well describe. Sometimes it happened, often it did not :)

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  2. Dinner together is an important part of every day . . . whether it's home-cooked or not, prepared over time or in a few minutes. Although I do think home-cooked with a bit of time is best. :)

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  3. Thinking of all the kids you fed every day for years, I really admire you and all the other women who do this. My husband loves to cook and now that he's retired has taken over completely. I can cook some, but don't have that love for it. So I feel truly blessed.

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  4. We all ate together, when the kids were at home - and round a table, not in front of the telly with food on our laps.

    It's different now I'm on my own. But I still sit at the table - and now I have the radio on, so it feels as if there is still chattering going on.

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  5. Yep, we like to eat dinner together. And I heard the results of a research project a few years back that found the family dinner was the one external that signaled success for kids trying to get good grades. Not homework, not tutors - family dinners. Wow!
    Jan Morrison

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  6. I don't think I've ever had flan before.

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  7. I always get the flan when we go to the local Mexican restaurant. It's delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  8. Flan with just a sliver of browned crusty sugar on top . . . You're piling the pounds on me, Karen. I'll have to step up my exercise if you keep this up.

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  9. Karen
    And AMEN to that. I don't need a degree in family planning to see that the evening meal is the all important meal to be shared together. The number one trick is getting the mother to stay in the home long enough to cook a family meal.

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  10. Dinner together is one thing my mom's always stern about. But it's always such an awesome time. :)

    -A fellow blogger from A to Z!

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  11. That sounds really good, and fairly easy. I'll have to try it sometime.

    I like how you are doing recipes for the challenge, I love trying new dishes. Plus I want to meal plan better.

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  12. I'm surprised how many people eat out almost every night. Home made food is so much yummier (it's just not as convenient, I guess)

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  13. mmmm sounds divine--had to come back and check this one i missed out :)

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