This Spanish dessert has taken over my kitchen. I make it every weekend

This delicate, oven-baked dessert made of caramel and eggs is a classic in Spanish cuisine. It's hard not to be intrigued by such a dessert - it presents itself like a sweet piece of paradise on a plate.

The dessert in discussion, Flan, also known as crème caramel, is remarkably soft. Its main ingredients are eggs and milk. Despite its French nomenclature, Flan is one of the staples of Spanish cuisine. It bears a lot of similarities to the French dessert crème brûlée. However, there are slight differences. In the case of flan, the sweetness is primarily sourced from the caramel placed at the bottom of the mold before baking and not from caramelized sugar, common to crème brûlée. Additionally, milk, instead of cream, constructs the base for this dessert. My family and friends are big fans of this Spanish delight.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups of full cream milk,
• 3 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks,
• 1 vanilla pod,
• 6 tablespoons of sugar,
• Another 6 tablespoons of sugar for the caramel.

Instructions:

1. Use a small, thick-bottomed saucepan. Pour in 6 tablespoons of sugar and heat it over low flame, ensuring not to stir to avoid the formation of unwanted sugar crystals. Gradually, the sugar will melt and turn a golden color.
2. Once the sugar caramelizes, promptly pour it into 6 small molds. Ensure the caramel is spread evenly at the bottom of the molds.
3. Next, pour milk into the saucepan. Add the beans from the vanilla pod. Bring it to a boil. Once boiled, set it aside to cool.
4. Transfer the remaining sugar into a bowl and add the eggs. Whisk them together until you achieve a uniform mass.
5. Mix this cooled vanilla milk into the egg mixture. Stir well.
6. Pour this finalized mixture into each flan mold.
7. Place these molds in a larger baking tray. Fill the tray with boiling water up to half the height of the molds.
8. Transfer the tray with the molds into a preheated oven set at 338 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 45 minutes.

Once the flan is baked, it needs to cool down. Then refrigerate for a few hours to set. A flan can be served with various toppings like strawberries, other fruits, whipped cream, caramel sauce, or maple syrup.