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F is for Flan




I had originally planned to make fudge for F. Then Spencer informed me that he doesn't like chocolate. I don't understand. I love him, but I don't understand. I've never made flan before. We consulted Heather and America's Test Kitchen and decided to give it a try. I think we made a perfectly respectable first attempt.


This recipe started off as an exercise in sibling rivalry. Julie kept saying "macaroni pan" and Spencer loudly and forcefully continued to remind her that it was actually a sauce pan. After a few minutes of shouting at each other about the pan there was a brief wrestling match to determine who would get to stand on the step stool and who would stand on a chair. Around the time they started throwing sugar at each other I decided that perhaps I had started this project a little bit to closely to lunch time. We took a break for a snack. Things were much more congenial after everyone had a full stomach.



Spencer got frustrated with trying to use measuring cups today. He liked using the scale much better. I don't have a good loaf pan, so we used ramekins to make individual serving sizes. We divided the caramel among 6 ramekins, but when we got to the custard we had more than I expected and we filled 9 ramekins. 









Eggs continue to be an adventure. Spencer likes to separate eggs by dumping them into his hand and let the whites slip through his fingers. It's a messy but mostly effective process. Julie doesn't separate eggs, but she's getting good at cracking them. I've learned to plan on using one or two extra eggs and to have lots of dishtowels available when cooking with the kids. We usually lose at least one egg down the sink or on the floor. It's fun, but I'm ready for a few eggless recipes. -L

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Isaac loves breaking eggs, but does not love the stuff inside.  He hates getting raw egg on his hands which makes separating eggs tricky.  In the process of breaking seven eggs, he washed his hands eight times.  It was fun to try something we've never made before, but we couldn't decide how to pronounce Flan.  Does it rhyme with "Lawn" or "Plan?" -H




Printable version here


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