With 11 backyard hens that leave my family with nearly a dozen eggs a day, we have been making the best of our seasonal harvest. From simple, crustless quiche's, tortilla española, and even the yolks, eaten raw with a drizzle of honey... yes, the abundance of eggs have been a treasure in my home. Although all of these things are good, nothing quite compares to a silky, creamy, and gently sweetened flan made rich and creamy with the seasons freshest eggs and dairy.
Flan is traditional custard, which can be made in a variety of ways. In Spain, where my family is from, it's made simple, using just a few ingredients to let the flavors in its purest essence, shine. In this season when the pastures are vibrant and overflowing with every good grass and weed, it's to no surprise that a good flan is far richer and creamier than if made during any other part of the year.
A flan is traditionally made with a caramelized topping. Usually, I'll make simple syrup made with coconut palm sugar or rapadura. However, now that strawberries are coming into season and my children have been patiently waiting for the season’s first berries, I couldn't help but make my own strawberry topping sweetened with a touch of local honey. To complement the gently sweetened strawberry topping, I made the custard cream heavy since our dairies have been in full production mode as well. The custard is delightfully sweetened with pure maple syrup from my father's backyard tree. It's much richer than the grade A syrup I usually purchase. It has a more intense flavor of maple and gives the flan delightful caramel undertones. To brighten the custard, I added some lemon zest garnished the flan with fresh whipped cream and a bit of fresh mint that has just begun to emerge in my gardens.
This nourishing treat made with the season’s finest ingredients serves my family just as well for breakfast.
Karen says
What can I expect in the subject line of the email? I am into real food and am wanting to try your strawberry flan and have never made anything in a flan pan or flan mold. I'm wondering if I could cook them like you said but not individually. I have a round probably 6 inch pan not a pan and it's from pampered chef that I'm going to put in a roaster with water like you said unless I hear from you differently. I'm sure interested in getting recipes
Sherrie | With Food + Love says
Seasonal perfection!! You know, I've never made flan before, for some reason it's pretty intimidating. But. I think it's about time I start.
XO SHERRIE
sam says
This looks wonderful. I have a lot of ripe bananas. Do you think I could substitute it for the strawberries? I have been looking for a great banana custard recipe for the frozen bananas I have kept.
Thanks,
Sam
Cheryl says
Beautiful! Wish I could have chickens but at least I have a good source. My last ones were the most golden yet.:) Yes, please tell us how much your molds hold and how many you use for this recipe!
Melissa says
I'm also wondering what type of molds used, and how many it made. Thank you!
Lisa says
This reciepe and the pictures of the flan look delicious. What kind of flan molds did you use and how many does this recipe make?