Chef John’s Cheesecake Flan
Course: DesertsCuisine: EuropeanPrep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
50
minutesAdditional Time
2
minutesTotal Time
3 hrs 20 mins
Servings
4
Yield
4 5 1/2-ounce flans
Ingredients
- For the Ramekins
1 teaspoon — vegetable oil
½ cup — plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
- For the Custard
½ cup — cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons — grated Parmesan cheese
¾ teaspoon — vanilla extract
1 pinch — salt
3 large — eggs, beaten
1 plus 2 tablespoons — milk
½ cup — white sugar
- For the Topping
½ cup — graham cracker crumbs (Optional)
2 tablespoons — unsalted butter, melted (Optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Rub the insides of four 5 1/2-ounce ramekins with oil.
- Melt 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a skillet over medium heat without stirring. Swirl the skillet occasionally until sugar caramelizes to an amber color. Quickly pour caramel into each ramekin to cover the bottoms. Place ramekins in a large baking dish.
- Combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, vanilla extract, salt, and eggs in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Heat milk in a small saucepan until almost simmering. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar until dissolved. Pour into cream cheese mixture and stir to combine.
- Ladle mixture into the ramekins. Carefully fill the baking dish with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake in the preheated oven until custard is just barely set, 45 to 60 minutes. When shaken, custard should jiggle as one mass. Remove the ramekins from the baking dish and let cool to room temperature.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle mixture over each flan. Refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 2 hours.
- Run a knife along the edge of each chilled flan and invert onto a plate. Drizzle any remaining caramel on top.
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