Frenchpearflan Recipes

FLAN PâTISSIER (FRENCH CUSTARD TART)

Steps:

• Infuse milk: Place milk, vanilla seeds, used beans and 50g (1/4 cup) sugar in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to just before boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, place lid on and leave to steep for 10 minutes.
• Yolk mixture: Meanwhile, place egg yolks, egg and remaining sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add cornflour and whisk until smooth.
• Temper eggs: While whisking the eggs, slowly pour in about half the milk in a thin stream. Whisk until combined.
• Thicken custard: Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan then whisk to combine. Place over medium low heat, stirring constantly so the base doesn't catch, until it starts to thicken (you will feel it). It should happen within 3 to 5 minutes. If it gets lumpy, remove off heat, whisk vigorously - will become smooth.
• Stir 20 seconds after bubbles appear: When the custard is thickened and hot and you see the first big lazy bubbles appear on the base, whisk constantly on the stove for a further 20 seconds then remove from stove. (To check for bubbles, pause stirring for a few seconds)
• Butter: Whisk butter in until fully incorporated.
• Strain & cool: Immediately strain into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Discard vanilla bean. Cover with cling wrap touching the surface. Cool on counter (3 hrs+) then refrigerate 12 - 24 hours. (Note 5)
• Work with pastry as frozen as possible - it's easier. (Note 4)
• Cut base and sides: Cut base out using the inside of the pan as a guide on one sheet of puff pastry. Cut three 25 x 5.5cm (2.15 x 10″) wide strips on the other sheet of puff pastry. Place base and sides back in freezer. RESERVE offcuts (for emergency patching).
• Line pan: Butter and line the sides of a 20cm/8" springform pan with a 5.5cm / 2.2" strip of baking paper. We are not using the pan base. (Note 6)
• Line sides: Place cake pan on a square sheet of baking paper on a plate. (Note 6) Remove cut puff pastry from freezer. Working quickly, when sides have JUST thawed enough to bend, line sides of cake pan with puff pastry, overlapping by 1cm / 0.4", using water to seal - just press down for now (will seal properly later).
• Base: Brush base of sides with water. Fit base into cake pan (see video at 2 min 50 sec for technique).
• Seal pastry: Use the back of a teaspoon to press base into the corner. Then smear the now-thawing puff pastry to full seal.
• Prick base: Prick base 30 times with fork. (I always forget!!)
• Freeze: Cover with cling wrap, freeze 4 - 24 hours. (Note 4)
• Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan) for 30 minutes.
• Line & fill with beads: Pick up crust using paper and place on tray (on the paper). Crumple 2 x 60cm / 2 feet long sheets of baking paper (Note 7) then fit into crust arranged in X. Fill with baking beads 1cm / 0.4" below rim (Note 8). Press to push paper into corners.
• Blind bake 25 min + 5 min: Bake 25 minutes, then use overhang paper to remove beads carefully (if sides look like they will cave in, return to oven with beads for 5 min). Bake 5 minutes then cool 10 minutes. (Seal any visible cracks with puff pastry scraps)
• Turn oven down to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
• Fill with custard: Remove Creme Patissiere from fridge. Whisk to loosen, scrape into crust - fill to 1cm/0.4" below rim. (Leftover custard Note 7) Smooth surface, brush custard surface with egg yolk (use it all).
• Bake 65 minutes, rotating tray 180° at 45 minutes. It will puff up in the last 15 ninutes like a souffle. Remove from oven - it will still be very wobbly, have faith! It will set when cool!Golden surface - If the top is not golden like pictured, switch on broiler to caramelise surface. Watch carefully - takes minutes!
• Cool on counter for 4 hours (in pan). Transfer to plate (still in pan), cover loosely with cling wrap, then refrigerate 12+ hours.
• Serve: Remove from fridge 1 hour prior to serving to bring to room temperature. Cut into slices like cake! The pastry is crispy & flaky. The custard will cut neatly (it will not ooze) but when you bite into it, the custard is beautifully soft and creamy. Traditionally eaten as a hand held bakery treat in France but you can use a plate if you're feeling civilised!
• Shelf life: Flan Pâtissier is at its best in the first 24 hours after it is put in the fridge after baking as this is when the pastry is still beautifully crisp. Beyond this the pastry starts to soften which no one has pointed out yet because everyone is besotted by the custard! But I notice. :)

FLAN PATISSIER (FRENCH CUSTARD PIE)

Steps:

• For the pastry, combine flour, butter, potato starch, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until it has the consistency of sand.
• Combine milk and egg yolk in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture and mix by hand until the mixture is evenly moistened. Do not overwork the pastry. Wrap pastry dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
• For the filling, combine milk, 1/2 of the sugar and split and scraped vanilla bean in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat once milk boils.
• While the milk is heating, whisk eggs and remaining sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in cream and cornstarch, and whisk until well blended.
• Whisk egg mixture into the cooled milk, stirring constantly.
• Return everything back into the saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent eggs from setting. As soon as custard begins to thicken, remove from heat and whisk constantly for a few minutes while it cools.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Remove pastry from the refrigerator. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Line a springform pan and sides with the pastry and pierce several times with a fork. Store in the refrigerator until filling is cooled down enough.
• Briefly beat cooled pastry cream with an electric mixer to smooth it out. Pour into the pastry shell and even out the surface with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Increase temperature to 470 degrees F (240 degrees C) for an additional 10 minutes to brown the surface, making sure the custard does not burn. To speed up browning the top you can also place on a rack closer to the top.
• Remove pie from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate cooled custard pie for 4 hours before serving.
• To unmold, run the blade of a knife along the inside of the mold, to loosen the flan. Then carefully remove the ring off from the springform pan.

PARISIAN FLAN (FRENCH CUSTARD PIE) RECIPE - (4.1/5)

Steps:

• Flan In a saucepan, bring milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. In a bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cream with a whisk. Add egg yolks and whole egg. Slowly incorporate into infused milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and strain. Cover with plastic wrap directly on cream and let cool in the refrigerator or over an ice water bath. Set aside. Crust In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse a few seconds at a time until it is the size of peas. Add milk and egg yolk and pulse until a ball begins to form. Shape into a disc with your hands. On a floured work surface, roll out pastry and line a 20 cm (8 inch) in diameter and 6-cm (2 ½-inch) deep spring form pan. Press firmly. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes or 30 minutes in the refrigerator. With the rack in the lowest position, preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Pour cooled custard into crust. Cut off excess dough to ½ cm (¼ inch) of the custard level. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until custard is only slightly wobbly. Set the oven to broil and caramelize for about 5 minutes or until surface of custard is partially burnt. Remove from oven. Let cool and refrigerate for 6 hours. Unmold. NOTE Keep flan in the refrigerator, but let it temper before serving.

FRENCH PEAR FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Lightly grease a 8 inch flan dish.
• Peel the pears, cut them in half, remove seeds and cut them into 1/4 inch slices.
• Place the sliced pears in a saucepan with the butter, and sauté over a low heat for 5 minutes, turning once.
• Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, sugar, whipping cream and cinnamon.
• Drain the pears and arrange in the greased flan case.
• Pour the egg mixture over the top of the pears and bake for about 40 minutes or until set.
• Serve warm.