Kafe Hawaij Flan

You’ve never tasted flan like this before. This flan stays true to its Portuguese roots but takes on a new dimension with Kafe Hawaij, a fragrant Yemeni spice blend featuring cardamom, ginger and cinnamon. Orange zest and lemon peel add just the right amount of brightness, perfectly balancing the silky richness of the custard.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup sugar 

  • 1-2 teaspoon water (optional)

  • 6 large eggs

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 3 cups milk

  • Thin peels from 1 lemon

  • 3 tablespoons New York Shuk Kafe Hawaij 

  • Zest of 1 orange 

Finished Hummus with Harissa Mushrooms

COOKING & ASSEMBLY

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  2. Be careful when preparing the caramel as it gets  VERY HOT! Place the sugar in a heavy medium frying pan. Set over medium heat and cook, continuing to stir while the sugar melts. Gently increase the heat and continue cooking; the sugar will begin to turn into a golden caramel color, 5-7 minutes. If the sugar is hardening too quickly, you can drizzle a little water around the edges of the pan into the sugar. IT’S VERY HOT AT THIS MOMENT!!! Remove the pan from the heat and let the caramel rest for a few seconds, then pour it into the bottom of a medium ovenproof soufflé dish. Act quickly before the caramel hardens.

  3. To prepare the custard, in a medium bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on X speed until lemony colored, 5-7 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, lemon peels and Kafe Hawaij and heat until hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and let the milk cool down a little, then remove and discard the lemon peels. Add about ¼ cup of the milk to the egg mixture while continuing to beat on low speed. (Tempering the eggs is very important so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs.) Continue beating the mixture while adding the remaining milk 1 cup at a time until the milk is fully incorporated, then add the orange zest.

  5. Let the custard rest to allow the foaminess to subside. Slowly pour the custard over the caramel in the soufflé dish.

  6. Place the soufflé dish into a large, deep ovenproof pan. Fill the pan with 1 inch of hot water. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the flan comes out clean, 60-75 minutes.

  7. Remove the soufflé dish from the pan of hot water and let the flan cool. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

  8. When ready to serve, invert the soufflé dish and release the flan onto a serving dish, preferably with a rim as there will be liquid.