Parisian Flan

I love making sweet preparations, whether tarts, desserts,… I like any of them, with fruit, with cream, with or without pastry. But above all I like them not to be excessively sweet, that is, so I can enjoy all their nuances because too much sugar hides them.

The preparations I like most are those that contain cream, crème pâtissière, made with care. They result in that silky, spreadable texture, and that's why we can't overlook this recipe I bring you today, the Parisian flan or flan pâtissier. A traditional French recipe that I often turn to.

And you may ask,… What do crème pâtissière and pastries have to do with a flan? Well,this typical French flan is nothing more than a baked crème pâtissière tart, a recipe to keep in mind and prepare ahead if you have a celebration coming up. Believe me, everyone will like it.

Kitchen Craft 23 cm quiche pan

Ingredients (for 6 people)

For the shortcrust pastry*:

• 100 g butter, chopped
• 200 g flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 35 g sugar
• 75 ml cold water (approx.)

For the vanilla crème pâtissière:

• 550 ml whole milk
• 200 ml heavy cream
• 150 g sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 vanilla pod
• 70 g cornstarch
• Butter for greasing the pan

*If you don't feel like making the pastry, don't hesitate to buy a quality shortcrust pastry or even a good butter puff pastry; it'll work very well in a pinch.

Le Creuset wooden rolling pin, Kitchen Craft ceramic baking beads and Le Creuset spoon spatula

Preparation

1. We start by preparing the pastry; for this, in our food processor with the paddle attachment we add all the ingredients except the water, mix at high speed until reaching a sand-like texture.
2. Next, we add the water little by little until it is fully incorporated. Work with your hands until you form a ball, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3. While the pastry rests we prepare the crème pâtissière; in a bowl we mix the eggs with half the sugar and the cornstarch. Set aside.
4. In a saucepan we heat the milk and cream together with the remaining sugar and the vanilla pod, which we will have split lengthwise and scraped the seeds from.
5. Once hot, pour into the bowl and mix well until you get a homogeneous mixture. Pour back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.
6. Once it has thickened, remove from the heat, pour into a clean container, cover with cling film directly on the surface and let cool.
7. After the pastry has rested for 2 hours, remove it from the fridge and roll it out, using our Le Creuset rolling pin, on a lightly floured surface.
8. We line the Kitchen Craft 23 cm quiche pan, a pan we will have buttered beforehand—although it's a fantastic non-stick pan, it never hurts. With the help of a fork we prick the bottom.
9. We line the pan with baking paper and cover with the Kitchen Craft ceramic baking beads, so the pastry has weight and we can blind-bake it quickly.
10. If this step seems tedious you can skip it, but I always like to blind-bake pastries to avoid them being undercooked. So, bake for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 200º. After the time, remove from the oven, carefully take off the baking paper with the ceramic beads and fill the pastry with the crème pâtissière, from which we must remove the vanilla pod. Smooth the surface and return to the oven, which we will have lowered to 175ºC.
11. Bake for 45 minutes or until the surface of the cream has browned.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool. You'll see the cream will have puffed up and that if you shake the pan it's not firm; this will change as it cools.

Kitchen Craft 23 cm quiche pan and Le Creuset spoon spatula

The typical recipe is made with vanilla, but if you prefer other flavors like lemon, orange, or even cinnamon, don't hesitate to use them—they'll be great!

Don't tell me it's not a tasty and easy tart! Will you make it and tell me about it?

Loreto