Flan de Coco
Makes 1 large flan
200 g (1 c) granulated sugar
15 g (1 Tbsp) water
3 whole eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
One 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
One 12-oz can evaporated milk
100 g (⅓ c + 1½ Tbsp) coconut milk
5 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract
2 g (½ tsp) kosher salt
15 g (1 Tbsp) rum
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar and water and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir lightly and allow the caramel to form and thicken. Once thick and deep brown, remove from the heat and coat a baking pan with the caramel. Make sure to cover the sides as well.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk lightly in one direction. Set aside.
Prepare a large vessel (big enough to fit your baking pan) with boiling water. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk, vanilla, salt, and rum and stir until the mixture reaches 170°F, about 5 minutes.
Remove the milk mixture from the heat and temper the eggs and milk carefully. Once the mixture has been fully combined, pour into the baking pan over the caramel. Place the baking pan into the vessel with boiling water and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until it has begun to set and the center of the custard jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge overnight before serving.
Bryan Ford, the acclaimed author of New World Sourdough and judge on Netflix’s Blue Ribbon Baking Championship, is changing how the world bakes with recipes that are “full of deep expertise” yet “unusually warm [and] friendly” (New York Times). In Pan y Dulce he helps home bakers embrace the extraordinary world of Latin American baking and break free of Eurocentric approaches to the craft.
Enter medialunas: full of tender layers, glazed with sugar. Alfajores sandwiched with dulce de leche. Fluffy conchas and pan de coco—and so much more:
- Golfeados, sweet-salty soft rolls twirled with queso de mano and drenched in syrup
- Flaky pastelitos stuffed with guava
- Crisp empanadas filled with juicy chicken
- The fugazzeta, an addictive flatbread stuffed with cheese and topped with charred onions
- And all sorts of rustic loaves, from pan Cubano baked with a palm leaf to blue masa sourdough to gluten-free chocolate quinoa bread
Ford delivers practical know-how alongside the history and culture behind each of 150 “mouthwatering” recipes (Pati Jinich, author of Treasures of the Mexican Table). This is an essential book for home bakers looking to expand their understanding of the craft—while tasting the best of México, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.