Recipe for authentic flan patissier (French flan, pastry flan or flan tart)

Flan patissier is a well-known and much-loved classic French dessert, found in virtually every boulangerie and pâtisseries in the country. It is a tart with a shortcrust or puff pastry base filled with a soft and creamy mixture of egg, milk and sugar , similar to a baked custard (or a creamy flan, depending on how you prefer to look at it). The particularity of this flan is that it is baked in the oven until it acquires a firm but silky texture on the inside, while the top is slightly golden and with a hint of caramel.

In Spanish, flan patissier is usually translated as pastry flan or flan tart . Although in some regions it can simply be called "flan", as I was saying, the difference with the flan we know here is that flan patissier has a shortcrust or puff pastry base, something that distinguishes it from the typical egg or vanilla flan that does not have dough.

As for the flavor, it is less sweet than other similar desserts such as Catalan cream or some flans, and has a delicate vanilla taste , which makes it a comforting option, perfect to accompany a coffee or to enjoy at any time of the day.

Flan patissier is also one of those recipes that can vary slightly from one region to another, but it always maintains that homemade essence that makes it so special. The recipe I bring you today comes directly from Revol , experts in the art of maintaining tradition.

Ingredients

• 1 shortcrust pastry* (or if you prefer a lighter, airier or more delicate base, you can also use puff pastry).
• 150 g of sugar
• 90 g cornstarch
• 1 vanilla pod
• 4 eggs
• 1 liter of milk

*You can use refrigerated shortcrust pastry or puff pastry, but we recommend making it at home, your flan will be much better! Here you will see how to make it.

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Bring the milk to a boil along with the opened vanilla pod.
3. Meanwhile, sift the cornstarch and mix it with the sugar.
4. Beat the eggs and add them to the cornstarch and sugar mixture, mixing well.
5. Once the milk has boiled, remove the vanilla pod and slowly add the hot milk to the egg, cornstarch and sugar mixture, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
6. Return the mixture to the heat and cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.
7. Roll out the shortcrust pastry into the Bombance cocotte , prick the base with a fork and pour the egg and milk mixture inside.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes.
9. Let cool completely in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.

Grades

• The traditional flan pâtissier recipe is characterised by its height and robustness . It is typical for this dessert to be quite tall, as it is prepared in deep moulds that allow for a thick layer of baked cream. This is in fact why we have prepared it in the Bombance cocotte, to gain that height we are looking for. This gives it its characteristic appearance, with a creamy texture on the inside and a slightly golden top layer. So, although you can find lower variations (such as flan pâtissier-inspired tarts), the authentic version usually stands out for its imposing presence, with a thickness that highlights both its texture and flavour. If you are looking to recreate the traditional recipe, opt for a tall mould to achieve that result.
• Not cooked in a bain-marie? Traditional flan pâtissier is not cooked in a bain-marie like classic egg flans. This French dessert is baked directly in the oven, as its texture does not depend on slow steaming , but on the combination of ingredients thickened beforehand and then baked to give it consistency and that golden top layer. That is, during preparation, before baking, the pastry cream mixture is cooked on the stove to thicken it. Therefore, you do not need a bain-marie; you simply bake the flan directly in the mold.
• Parisian flan is another way of naming this same recipe, flan patissier .
• If you prefer a less traditional version but with a small presentation and proportions (many times today it is presented like this), you can opt for the recipe that you will find in this other post .
• As for the dough, this recipe follows the traditional steps for it, because the dough is not baked before adding the liquid mixture. This makes everything quicker and more convenient. However, if you prefer to make sure it is cooked, or to make it crispier, you can pre-bake the dough if you want.

On pre-cooking or not pre-cooking the dough

Traditionally, the shortcrust pastry (or puff pastry) is not baked before the mixture is added, because the custard is baked with the base, and the long cooking time means the pastry is usually well-cooked. However, if you want to make sure the base is perfectly crisp and not too soggy, you can pre-bake it slightly. This is known as "blind baking".

How to pre-bake the dough:

1. Spread the shortcrust pastry into the mould and prick it with a fork to prevent it from rising.
2. Place baking paper on top of the dough and add weight (such as dried legumes, rice or ceramic baking balls).
3. Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes until the edges start to brown slightly.
4. Remove the weight and baking paper, and bake for another 5 minutes to allow the base to dry out slightly.
5. Then, add the flan mixture and continue with the recipe.

This step is optional, but it helps to make the base crispier and more uniform, especially if you use a homemade dough or if the flan mixture is very liquid. If you prefer to simplify the process, you can skip it and bake everything together as in the original recipe.