In a very special release, just in time to practice for Mother’s Day, José Andrés of Jaleo Restaurant in Disney Springs is sharing a family secret from his mother, Marisa. For those of you who will be in the Disney Springs area, be sure to visit Jaleo by José Andrés to enjoy this classic Spanish dessert served with ‘espuma’ (Spanish for foam) of Catalan cream. If you are celebrating Mom from home, try out this very special Spanish Flan dessert recipe combining custard and caramel.

“My Mother’s Flan” Recipe by José Andrés

Flan al estilo de mi madre (Spanish flan in my mother’s style) –  Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar 2 large eggs
  1 cup heavy cream
  1 cup half-and-half
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract Orange segments (optional) Whipped cream (optional) Fresh mint (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

To make the caramel, put 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and add two tablespoons of water. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down sides of the pan with a brush to prevent burning. Increase the heat and boil the syrup, stirring and swirling the pan, and you’ll see the caramel turning a light brown color. Continue to cook for five minutes until it becomes a dark amber color. Keep an eye on the caramel as it cooks — you don’t want it to burn. Working quickly, pour the caramel into six ramekins, coating the bottoms evenly. Set aside to let cool and harden.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and eggs. Pour in the cream, half-and-half, and vanilla and whisk together gently so as not to incorporate air and over mix. Let the mixture sit until the sugar dissolves. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl with a lip or a pitcher. Set the caramel-coated ramekins in a roasting pan lined with a kitchen towel and divide the custard evenly among the cups. Carefully fill the pan with hot water to reach a little more than the middle of the ramekins. Cover the pan with foil, crimping to seal, and carefully place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Rotate the pan and cook until the custard is set but its center still jiggles when the dish is nudged; add another 20-25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, uncover, and let the custard cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Transfer ramekins to a plate to cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Let the custards stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, gently run a thin knife around the inside of the ramekin to loosen the flan. Cover with a plate and invert the ramekin onto the plate and allow the custard to come loose onto the plate. The caramel will pool around the flan. Garnish with orange segments, whipped cream, and fresh mint if you like.

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