When Claudia suggested I prepare a recipe with the Ilsa flan molds, I immediately told her I wanted to make my tocinillos de cielo. They are such an exquisite and delicate bite that I wanted to show you how to make them at home. Whenever I serve them at a gathering, they are a hit.
In the pastry shops around here, tocinillos de cielo are usually sold in a small format, but I prefer to make them with the 8 cm flan molds and they turn out the size of a flan. They don’t feel heavy at all. And if a guest doesn’t want to eat one whole, they can always share!
In case you didn’t know, the tocinillo de cielo has a monastic origin, specifically at the Convento del Espíritu Santo in Jerez de la Frontera, and it is said they were already making it in the 14th century. The winemakers of Jerez clarified wine with egg whites and donated the unused yolks to the convent. To make use of these yolks, the nuns invented this sweet which has endured to this day.
Laura Ashley porcelain bowl, ILSA stainless steel flan molds, Laura Ashley porcelain plates and Laura Ashley kitchen cloth
Ingredients (for 8 8 cm flan molds)
- 500 g sugar
- 200 ml water
- 14 egg yolks
- 2 eggs
Caramel:
- 150 g sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Preparation
- In a saucepan, put the 500 g of sugar together with the water and bring to a boil. The mixture should cook until it reaches 110º (you can measure it with a sugar thermometer). If you don’t have a thermometer, you can do it with the traditional method. Take a little syrup with a spoon and let it drip. It will be ready when the syrup runs in a continuous thin stream. This is known as the tear stage.
- When the syrup is ready, remove it from the heat and let it cool.
- While the syrup cools, prepare the caramel. Put the sugar and water in a frying pan and put it on the heat. Do not stir or the sugar will crystallize. When it has caramelized, remove it from the heat and pour the caramel over the bottom of the flan molds. Spread the caramel along the sides as well.
- Now prepare the mixture for the tocinillos. In a bowl, put the yolks and the eggs and mix with a whisk. Do it slowly so as not to incorporate air.
- Strain the yolks and, when the syrup is not hot, pour it in a thin stream over them while whisking constantly, but slowly, so as not to incorporate air.
- Divide the mixture among the flan molds and cover them with aluminum foil.
- To set the tocinillo, heat the oven to 180º and place a tray with hot water inside. We will cook the tocinillos in a bain-marie for 30–40 minutes. To check if they are done, poke with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out dry, they will be ready.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.
- To remove them from the mold, run the tip of a knife around the tocinillo and lever a little at the bottom to let air in. If you do it carefully, they will come out perfectly without breaking.
Laura Ashley porcelain plates, Laura Ashley porcelain bowl, ILSA stainless steel flan molds and Laura Ashley kitchen cloth
