Flan is a family favorite in many Latin American households. Originally a savory dish from Rome, flan was adapted by several cultures with slight variations to the recipe. The Spaniards were the first to make the custardy treat sweet with the addition of caramel, and are largely responsible for bringing it to the Americas. As a staple in cities across Mexico and Cuba, we were inspired to put a Ruta Maya spin on the dessert with the infusion of our organic Café Jiguaní Espresso Roast. In this recipe, we use Jiguaní to add a rich and complex dimension, inspired by the flavors of Cuban coffee produced in the Sierra Maestra region.

Our favorite way to enjoy flan is with our loved ones. This recipe was created by the combined effort of two generations of the Ruta Maya family–grandmother and granddaughter. As with most grandmothers, cooking is more of an art than an exact science, and translating “una pizca de esto y un poco de aquello” (a pinch of this and a little of that) was a gratifying challenge. While cooking flan in a pressure cooker may feel less traditional than in an oven, Grandma Marina admitted to never having cooked flan any other way. We did our best to fill in the blanks for folks who don’t have access to a pressure cooker, but if you do have one, Marina can assure you that your flan will come out moist, fluffy, and delicious.

Coconut Espresso Flan
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Makes 6 Servings  

Tools

• Blender or large food processor

• 7 Inch stainless steel flan mold with lid. We used this affordable option.

• Medium saucepan

• Coffee grinder

• Espresso maker

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Pressure cooker

• Tin foil

Alternate Oven Method

• Instead of the pressure cooker, you will need a 9x13 baking dish

   

Ingredients

• 5 large eggs

• 1/2 can of condensed milk

• 1/2 can of evaporated milk

• 1/2 can of cream of coconut *Note, this is not the same thing as coconut cream. Cream of coconut can be substituted for 3/4 can of condensed milk, and 3/4 can of evaporated milk.

• 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cups of regular, granulated sugar 

• 2 ounces of brewed Ruta Maya Café Jiguaní Espresso coffee

• Enough water to create a “water bath,” about 2 cups. More on this below.

• 3 tsp of water for the caramel
  
  

Preparation

• Brew 2 ounces of the Café Jiguaní Espresso Roast, (or more, if you need a quick pick-me-up for yourself.)

• Oven-Method - Preheat the oven to 350° and prepare a water bath by pouring hot water into the 9x13 baking dish, filling it up about halfway.

   

 Method

• In a blender, mix the eggs (whites and yolks), condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream of coconut, vanilla extract, and 2 ounces of Café Jiguaní espresso roast brewed coffee. Blend this mixture until it is smooth and set aside. 

   

• In a medium saucepan, caramelize 1 cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of water on medium heat by adding sugar to the pan and stirring continuously. When the color changes to a dark coffee brown and starts to bubble and rise, remove from heat and pour into your flan mold, covering the bottom and sides.

• Pour the blender mix into the flan mold over the caramel, making sure to seal it well with a piece of tin foil before placing the top of the mold down.

• Place the flan mold in the pressure cooker and add water to the bottom of the pressure cooker until it reaches halfway up the side of the mold, creating a “water bath.” This keeps the flan moist and prevents any cracks. Set the pressure cooker to the medium, or normal, setting and cook for 30 minutes.

• Oven Method - Place the flan mold (now filled with both the caramel and the blender mix,) Into the prepared water bath - making sure the water comes up to about halfway up the side of the flan mold. Cook for 50 minutes.

• The flan is done when it is firm on the edges and soft-firm in the center. You can test this by poking it with a butter knife -it should come out mostly clean.

Finishing Touches

• Once the flan is done, remove the flan mold from the pressure cooker (or oven) and let cool for about an hour before putting it in the refrigerator. 

• Refrigerate overnight and serve it the next day by running a butter knife along the mold’s edges, flipping onto a serving dish (it can be helpful to place the dish on top of the mold, and flipping it over together), and scooping the excess caramel onto the flan with a spoon. Slice into small wedges, and enjoy!