Think custardy flan paired with crisp cookies. Add the compatability of maple and walnut to the equation and you'll see how I came up with this unusual dessert. To make it, I unmold a maple-syrup-sweetened flan directly into a baked walnut tart crust. The buttery crust acts as a moat, containing and absorbing the caramel that slides off the flan so that it doesn't have a chance to run all over your plate. Instead, you get all the rich, nutty flavors and creamy-crisp textures together in each bite. It's a completely satisfying dessert that takes flan to new heights.
有几件事要记住当it. The first is to try to use grade-B maple syrup, which has a stronger taste than grade A and is generally better for cooking (you can buy it at specialty shops). The next is to simmer and reduce the maple syrup to concentrate it, which makes a richer, more satiny custard. And the last is to bake the crust in a quiche pan rather than a tart shell. A quiche pan is made in one piece, so if there are small tears in the dough and the caramel drips through, it won’t leak all over your serving platter. A tart pan with a removable bottom is a much riskier proposition.
If you'd rather forego the tart shell, unmold the flan onto a platter and serve it with crisp cookies.
This recipe was excerpted from 'The Last Course' by Claudia Fleming. Buy the full book onAmazon. See moredesserts from pastry chef Claudia Fleming→
Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
Maple Flan
Walnut Crust
Step 1
1. To prepare the flan, place the maple syrup in a large, heavy saucepan. Set it over low heat and let simmer until the syrup is reduced by a quarter (to 3/4 cup), 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 2
2. Add the cream to the syrup and stir until mixture is smooth and comes back to a simmer.
Step 3
3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add a little of the hot maple cream into the eggs to warm them, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from curdling. Pour the mixture into the saucepan, whisking the cream constantly. Strain the mixture into a bowl, stir in the salt, and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
Step 4
4. Preheat oven to 300°F. Place 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the sugar and corn syrup. Raise the heat to high and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture becomes a dark amber caramel, 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately pour the caramel into an 8-inch round nonstick cake pan, tilting to make sure the sides are well coated. Work quickly so the caramel doesn't harden. If it does, rewarm it over low heat.
Step 5
5. Pour the maple custard into the caramel-coated cake pan. Place it in a baking pan and carefully move it to the oven rack. Pour enough very hot water into the baking pan to reach two thirds of the way up the side of the cake pan. Cover the baking pan with foil and prick all over with a fork. Bake the flan for about 1 hour, then lift off a corner of the foil to vent the steam. Re-cover the pan and continue to bake until the flan is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 45 minutes longer. Remove the flan from the baking pan and transfer to a rack. Let cool at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
Step 6
6. To prepare the walnut crust, preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven, stirring once or twice, until they smell nutty, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
Step 7
7. Using a food processor, pulse the walnuts until they are finely ground, then reserve. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, walnuts, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Mix until the dough just holds together. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a disk. Wrap it and chill for at least 1 hour, until firm.
Step 8
8. Preheat oven to 325°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick into a 12-inch round. Fit the dough into a 9-inch quiche pan. Trim away any excess dough, then use a fork to prick the crust all over. Bake the tart crust until it's pale golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. (The tart shell can be made 8 hours ahead and kept at room temperature or frozen.)
Step 9
9. To unmold the flan, run a small knife around the sides of the cake pan, then invert the flan into the baked tart shell. Serve with whipped crème fraîche, if desired.
Variation
Step 10
For individual flans without crust, divide the caramel and then the maple custard evenly among eight 4-ounce glass or ceramic ramekins. Bake as directed for 1 hour and 30 minutes, venting the steam after 45 minutes.
Leave a Review
Reviews (8)
Back to TopI don't know what I did wrong but I had to throw this away. I made only minor changes (did not have almond flour or Grade B syrup) but this was just a mess. My flan never firmed up at all in the oven. Once chilled it was firm - kind of - but not the velvety texture it should have been. It was also far too sweet. The crust was no better. I was thankful I had also made a pumpkin pie so we were able to have a nice dessert on Thanksgiving. This one got tossed!
mprea1
Chicago, IL
11/25/2007
I listened to the last comment... that member recipe for brazilian flan was great!!! this walnut crust went well with it!
georgia
GA
6/30/2005
阅读后我有点惊讶ll the rave reviews... this flan was ok at best... the walnut crust was good however. I did find a great way to fix this dessert though... I followed someone else's comment about how great the BRAZILIAN STYLE FLAN member recipe was and made that flan with the walnut crust from this recipe... turned out MUCH better! Try it look under flan in member recipes (not epicurious recpipes).
wonder woman
MA
6/30/2005
I made this for a dinner club and never made flan before, I was unsure as to the results, so I made a back up dessert in case, but was pleasantly surprised at the presentation and how delicious it was! Everyone said it was a definite keeper!
Anonymous
Kent, WA
1/9/2005
Excellent! Was surprised how good it was.
jmdemello
Sacramento, CA
12/2/2004
We made this recipe for Thanksgiving and despite our modifications, it was delicious! Instead of almond flour, we used 2 cups regular flour mixed with ground almonds and walnuts. We also didn't have time to chill the flan before baking it, so we baked it right away and chilled it for 1 hour before serving. Amazingly everyone loved it and ate every bite!!
Anonymous
Miami, Fl
11/27/2003
To the previous reviewer..I have a quiche pan with a removable bottom. They're just deeper than a tart pan, but same basic design.
Anonymous
San Antonio del Mar, Mexico
6/22/2003
Not a drop was left on anyone's plate! I can't wait to make it again! It was fabulous - and what a great presentation on the crust. I made this dessert to top off a Spanish-themed meal (great with Birthday Party Paella from epicurious site). I did bake flan about 30 minutes longer than recipe stated, though; it looked way too "jiggly." Also, instead of the walnut crust, I made an almond crust: Process 2/3 c flour, 1/3 c chopped almonds, 1/2 t salt. Add 5 T unsalted butter (Plugra's the best.) and process until crumbly, then gradually add 1 T ice water through feed tube, turning motor on and off 2-3 times until dough holds together. Gather dough and shape into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 425. Butter 9-inch tart pan with removeable bottom (no problems; can't imagine using a quiche pan . . . how would you get it out?). Roll chilled dough to 11-inch circle, line pan, folding dough toward the inside. Prick bottom with a fork and line with foil, shiny side down. Fill with pie weights, and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle crust with 1 t sugar. Bake 4-8 minutes longer. Cool on rack to room temp.
Anonymous
Muskego, WI
1/26/2003
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