Spanish Flan

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 eggs room temperature

¼ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put six flan bowls or one Pyrex or corning ware dish in a large baking pan. Melt ½ cup sugar in a black iron skillet over medium heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until melted and caramelized. Spoon the hot caramelized sugar into each of the flan bowls or pour into the Pyrex or corning ware dish.

Heat the whipping cream without letting it boil over and turn off heat.

Slightly beat the 3 eggs and put in ¼ cup sugar.

Stir constantly and slowly add the heated whipping cream to beaten eggs until sugar is dissolved.

Add the extracts and fill the flan bowls or Pyrex or corning ware dish.

Carefully pour in hot water to large baking pan to a ½ inch depth or make sure the water comes up ¾ of the way up the sides of the flan bowls.

Bake uncovered in the water bath for 45-60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center of the flan bowl. Check every 5 minutes of the last 15 minutes for doneness as time may vary according to how the oven heats.

Remove and refrigerate the flans for 1-2 hours. Serve in the flan bowls.

If using a larger dish, run a clean knife around the edges of the dish, place a plate over it and invert.

Becky Collins, New Iberia