Description
Rich Brazilian chocolate praline flan combines creamy custard with caramel-coated pecans. Sweet dessert lovers will find this silky pudding irresistible when served chilled with a glossy caramel finish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 L (4.2 cups) milk
- 200 g (7 oz) praline paste
- 260 g (9.2 oz) flour
- 240 g (8.5 oz) Philadelphia or mascarpone, cold and cubed
- 225 g (8 oz) butter, cold and cubed
- 170 g (6 oz) heavy cream (at least 30% fat)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 250 g (8.8 oz) brown sugar
- 100 g (3.5 oz) icing sugar
- 100 g (3.5 oz) milk chocolate ganache (50 g milk chocolate / 50 g cream)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cornstarch
- 40 g (1.4 oz) cocoa powder
- 200 g (7 oz) roasted hazelnuts
- 20 g (0.7 fl oz) water
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Dough Preparation: Blend flour, cocoa powder, egg yolk, salt, cold butter, and cream cheese into a uniform dough, ensuring smooth texture and consistent mixing.
- Dough Chilling: Encase dough in plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes to solidify and enhance flavor profile.
- Custard Base: Whisk egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch until achieving a pale, silky consistency with no granular texture.
- Milk Integration: Gently warm milk and gradually incorporate into egg mixture, continuously whisking to prevent protein separation and create a smooth custard foundation.
- Custard Thickening: Cook custard over medium heat, stirring constantly until reaching a thick, creamy consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
- Crust Baking: Preheat oven to 350°F, line crust with parchment paper and baking weights, baking for 30 minutes, then remove weights and continue baking 5 minutes until edges turn golden.
- Custard Layering: Cool crust completely, then spread praline custard evenly across the surface, ensuring uniform coverage.
- Flan Baking: Bake filled flan for 45-60 minutes at 350°F, monitoring to prevent excessive browning.
- Hazelnut Caramelization: Create amber-colored caramel by cooking water and sugar, then fold roasted hazelnuts into mixture, spreading on silicone mat to cool and harden.
- Final Assembly: Pour chocolate ganache over cooled flan, garnish with caramelized hazelnuts, and refrigerate for one hour to set and intensify flavors.
- Serving: Slice chilled flan, showcasing intricate layers of chocolate, praline, and caramelized nut elements.
Notes
- Chill the Dough: Refrigerating the chocolate crust dough helps prevent shrinkage and maintains its crisp texture during baking.
- Prevent Curdling: Slowly stream warm milk into egg mixture while continuously whisking to ensure a smooth, silky custard without lumps.
- Monitor Baking Time: Watch the flan carefully during the final baking stage to avoid over-browning and maintain a perfect creamy consistency.
- Cooling is Crucial: Allow the flan to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour to let flavors meld and achieve the ideal set texture.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 462
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 123 mg