Flan de Elote

Corn bread, corn muffins, corn flan? Yes, it’s a very delicious Mexican tradition. A flan is technically Mexican style custard. It can be flavored, it can fruit it in, caramel on top, or be simple and elegant.
The corn flan is a delicious variation, that I set out to recreate and well, it barely lasted long enough for me to take a picture! Hope you like it!!

Flan de Elote
Source: A Cooks Tour of Mexico

Ingredients:
12 large eggs
2 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk
3 cups milk
.5 fl oz vanilla extract
1tsp cinnamon
16 oz tender corn kernels
12 oz sugar
4.5 fl oz water

Procedure:
1. Put the eggs and condensed mil in large bowl. Add enough milk to total 2 quarts. Add the vanilla and cinnamon.
2. Pour into a blender container, in batches and blend until foamy.
3. Put the corn in blender and blend just enough to break them. Mix with egg mixture.
4. Put the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Add the water and swirl the pan, by its handle over medium heat until the syrup comes to a boil and turns clear.
5. Cover pot and raise the heat for about 6 minutes or until sugar is caramel brown. Immediately pour over 12 x 2 in baking dish. Swirl the syrup around quickly to cover entire bottom of the dish.
6. Pour egg mixture over caramel
7. Pre-heat over to 325F. Make a water bath, (about 1in up sides of flan dish.
8. Place water bath in the center of oven and bake for 1-2 hours. When toothpick comes out clean its done. Cool and then refrigerate until ready to serve.


Yield: 12 Servings

strange summer ice cream

It’s been a strange summer here in Southern California. Sometimes its hot, sometimes it’s cold and sometimes it’s plain confusing. It must be global warming and I’m not joking (but, Ill talk about that later).
But I don’t care, summer is summer and summer deserves ice cream!! Now, I know that there are million of brands out there, ice cream sandwiches, popsicles, cones and ice cream by the tub (good after you’ve just broken up with the love of you life =)), but home made ice cream can’t be beat!
It brings memories of long gone childhood days that used to be better. Lazy summers with no computer or video games, only the lasting sunlight and our imaginations. Running tired and hot into the kitchen and helping mom or grandma make popsicles with chocolate syrup and milk. And the folkloric colors of the ice cream at the markets in Mexico, the woman behind the counter made the ice cream everyday. It came in every flavor imaginable… from traditional lemon, to caramel, to rompope, cucumber and exotic avocado. That among many things I miss from my native country, but the other day I went to our local Hispanic market and bought mamey. According to The Prentice Hall Dictionary of Culinary Arts: mamey; mamey apple; mamee apple; mamey plum; (ma-MAY) A fruit (Mammea Americana) native to the west Indies; the size of a large orange, it is spherical with slight points at the top and bottom and has a tough, matte-brown, bitter-flavored skin; the firm, golden flesh has a flavor reminiscent of an apricot. According to me; mamey is a fruit I used to love in Mexico and also a great flavor for ice cream.
So, on a not so hot summer day, I set out to make some ice cream!! The recipe came from; The Best of Cooking Light 2006 I made some small variations.

Mamey Ice Cream:
Ingredients:
12 oz unflavored soy milk
2oz splenda
2 large yolks
2oz nonfat dry milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz mashed mamey

Procedure:
1. Combine 8 oz milk, splenda, egg yolk in a small heavy saucepan, stir with a whisk. Place over medium heat, stirring constantly. Do so for 8 or so minutes until it reaches 180F. Remove from heat.
2. Pour custard into a cool bowl; place bowl over ice water and let cool completely. Combine 4oz milk, dry milk, and vanilla. Stir into custard mamey.
3. Cover and chill.
4. Pour into freezer can or ice-cream and freeze according to instructions. About 1 hour!
Delicioso!!