Mexican Chocolate Custard

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Anna Welander of Uppsala, Sweden for sharing this with us:

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and
let the food fight it out inside. - Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne
Clemens) (1835-1910)

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This classic Spanish dessert is a favorite all over the Spanish-
speaking world, and Mexico is no exception. The basic egg
custard can be flavored with any number of ingredients, and this
version is one you might expect from the birthplace of chocolate.

Mexican Chocolate Custard (Flan de Chocolate)

For the caramel sauce:
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
2 Tbs (30 ml) water

For the custard:
4 cups (1 L) milk
8 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (180 ml) sugar
3 Tbs (45 ml) cocoa powder
2 Tbs (30 ml) dark rum (optional)
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
A pinch of salt

To make the caramel sauce, combine the sugar and water in a small
saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Cook, stirring
frequently, until the sugar is a dark golden brown. Pour the sugar
carefully (it will be extremely hot) into a 6-cup (1.5 L) mold or
into 6 individual custard cups or ramekins, tilting the mold or cups
to coat the bottom and sides with the molten sugar. Set aside.

To make the custard, heat the milk until small bubbles form around
the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and let cool. Whisk
together the remaining ingredients and stir into the milk. Strain
into the mold or custard cups. Place in a pan filled with enough
water to come halfway up the side of the mold and bake in a
preheated 350F (180C) oven until the tip of a knife inserted in the
center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature and
chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. To serve, run the
blade of a knife around the edge of the mold before inverting onto a
serving platter. Serves 6.
Received on Fri Jul 15 07:59:48 2005