Brazilian Condensed Milk Flan

I must admit I wasn’t very happy when Brazil got disqualified from the World Cup. Not to worry though, I moved on by taking comfort in a dessert filled with fabulous childhood memories. A classic Brazilian Flan can lift anyone's spirits.

Condensed Milk Flan is a classic Brazilian dessert and is usually made in a flan pan (a type of ring mold with a double boiler). I happen to have a wonderful old relic of a pan - it's missing knob but still working great! I assume most people don’t and will make the flan in the oven rather than at the cooktop like me. If so, you will need a ring mold, fluted pan, cake pan or round glass bakeware along with a roasting pan that can fit your flan pan inside.

Pudim de Leite Condensado (Condensed Milk Flan)

1 cup sugar
½ cup water

1 can condensed milk
2 cups of milk
3 eggs
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Heat enough water to fill the roasting pan enough to cover flan mold halfway. Set aside.

Caramel
Put 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan (if you have a flan pan like mine you can do that straight into the pan at stovetop). Stir sugar over low heat until it dissolves. Make sure you rotate the pan and don't let the sugar burn otherwise the caramel will be bitter.

Add the water and let it boil until it turns into a medium amber color syrup. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the flan mold and swirl the caramel to completely cover the base and a bit of the sides. Set aside.

Flan
Mix condensed milk, milk and eggs in a blender for about 4 minutes without stopping. Pour the mixture into the caramel-coated mold.
Cover flan mold with aluminum foil really tight to make sure that no water gets to the flan.

Place flan mold inside roasting pan and put in the oven. Pour the hot (not boiling) water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the side of the flan mold.

Bake for about 1 hour or until flan is firm. Let it cool well then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve, run a knife around the flan then place a dessert plate on top of the flan and turn it.