Chef John's Cheesecake Flan
Description
For Chef John's cheesecake flan recipe, a creamy, cheesy custard bakes inside caramel-lined ramekins to create a hybrid between cheesecake and flan.
Ingredients
•
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
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1/2 cup white sugar
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2 tablespoons white sugar
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1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
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3 large eggs, beaten
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2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
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3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1 pinch salt
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1 cup milk
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2 tablespoons milk
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1/2 cup white sugar
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1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
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2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Coat insides of four 5 1/2-ounce ramekins with oil.
2
Melt 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a skillet over medium heat without stirring; swirl the skillet occasionally until sugar caramelizes to an amber color. Quickly pour caramel into each prepared ramekin to cover the bottoms. Place ramekins in a large baking dish.
3
Whisk cream cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl until smooth.
4
Heat milk in a small saucepan until almost simmering; stir in 1/2 cup sugar until dissolved. Stir into cream cheese mixture until custard combined.
5
Spoon custard mixture into the prepared ramekins. Carefully add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
6
Bake in the preheated oven until custard is just barely set, 45 to 60 minutes. Custard should jiggle as one mass, when shaken. Remove ramekins from the baking dish; cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
7
Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl; sprinkle over each flan. Refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 2 hours.
8
Run a knife along edges of chilled flans; invert onto plates. Drizzle any remaining caramel on top.