Chocolate Flans

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a chocolate pudding unlike any you've ever had before. It's a signature dessert at Cibrèo, a well-known trattoria near the outdoor market in Florence. Unlike most puddings, this silken, barely sweet budini is served warm with sweet cream on the side. The flavor is rich, the texture is creamy and the bittersweet taste of good chocolate will bring cioccolato fans to their knees. It is that good. It is, alas, despite the true ease with which its made, not something you'll prepare often. The silken texture of the baked custard comes from copious quantities of cream and eggs that only marathon runners can handle on a regular basis. I've tried to make healthier substitutions for the more egregious ingredients but it simply doesn't work. So, Bob and I have this once a year, in smaller portions than recommended in the recipe, and, when I make this for us, I cut the recipe in half to make four 6-ounce servings. There's no reason to give temptation free reign in the refrigerator. If you like chocolate you'll love this dessert. Here's the recipe for the pudding as it is served at Cibrèo.

Chocolate Flans ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
Nonstick spray or butter to prepare ramekins
8 ounces top quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
Optional garnish: whipped cream, cocoa powder

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray or butter six (1-cup) ramekins and place them in a roasting pan large enough to hold them without their sides touching. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
2) Combine chocolate and milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat to melt chocolate. Remove from heat source and let cool for 5 minutes.
3) Whisk remaining ingredients into pan until blended. If you wish, strain custard before pouring into ramekins. Transfer roasting pan, containing ramekins, to oven. Add boiling water to roasting pan until it reaches halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until edges of flans are set but center still trembles, about 45 to 50 minutes.
4) Carefully remove custards from oven. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with heavy cream and cocoa powder if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lemon Pudding - One Perfect Bite
Double Chocolate Pudding - One Perfect Bite
Butterscotch Pudding - One Perfect Bite

Lemon Custard

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We are a family of lemon lovers. Years ago this recipe was the filling for a lemon custard pie. It was unusual because it used buttermilk and sour cream to produce a tang that couldn't be attributed simply to lemon. As time passed and calories became a consideration, I simply did away with the crust and cooked the filling as I would a lemon pudding. We still love the dessert. It is easy to do and very much like an old-fashioned lemon pudding that has a layer of cake topped with a layer of custard. It requires no additional sauce because the top layer is so creamy. I do use a bit of zested lemon to garnish the cake. If you're fussy, you can blanch and candy the zest. I don't bother because this is meant to be a reasonably quick treat for family and close friends. I do like to serve these with macerated blue or black berries.Here's the recipe.

Lemon Custard...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
6 large eggs, separated
Grated zest and juice of 3 large lemons
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup reduced-fat buttermilk
1 cup light sour cream
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zested lemon strips for garnish

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat 8 1-cup molds or 2 9 x 2-inch flan pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Place egg yolks in bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat until they are pale yellow. Add zest. Slowly add lemon juice, beating to incorporate.
3) Add sugar and flour and beat slowly until incorporated. Reduce speed and add milk, buttermilk and sour cream, beating to incorporate. Set aside.
4) In a separate large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold whites into egg yolk mixture.
5) Fill prepared molds with batter. Place in a large roasting pan. Transfer to center rack of oven. Pour boiling water into pan until it comes halfway up sides of molds. Bake until cake tester inserted into center of molds comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. Carefully remove pan from oven, but do not remove molds from pan. Allow water to cool to room temperature. Unmold and chill before serving. Garnish with zested lemon strips. Yield: 8 1-cup molds or 2 9-inch flans.

Vegan Red Lentil and Pepper Flan

I had no intent to bamboozle my reluctant vegetarian. He becomes suspicious when I do strange things, so it's always best to warn him. I put the flan on the table. He studied it, rotating his plate from one angle to another to get the best possible view. "It's pretty," says he, "but it sure is red! What's in it?" "Red lentils and bell peppers, nothing exotic," say I. He has a bite. "What's really in it?" We parried a bit longer, but in the end I'm happy to report he ate a hearty portion and actually enjoyed it. I'm not always so lucky with meatless meals. This is a great entree and if you're looking to replace some animal protein with greener alternatives I heartily recommend this vegan flan. You won't be sorry. It's quick and easy to prepare. The recipe was developed in Australia, so there is one ingredient that may confound you. The ingredient list calls for yeast extract. You'll be able to find it in most large grocery stores and health food shops where it's sold as Vegemite or Marmite. There is also a new vegetarian version of Bovril which can be used and may be easier to find. If you're going to go all out, vegan margarine can be found in the dairy case of major grocery chains. Let's start with the pie dough.

Vegan Red Lentil and Pepper Flan

Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon vegan margarine, divided use
4 tablespoons ice water
3/4 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
1-1/4 cups canned vegetable stock
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 large red bell peppers, stemmed, seed and cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 teaspoon yeast extract
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Pepper

Directions:
1) About an hour before serving, place flour in a medium bowl. Cut 1/3-cup margarine into small pieces and add to flour. Using fingertips, rub margarine into flour until it resembles cornmeal or fine breadcrumbs. Stir in water and bring together to form a dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2) While the dough chills, place lentils in a small saucepan, cover with vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat: simmer for 10 minutes, or until lentils are soft and can be mashed to a puree. I didn't mash my lentils.
3) Melt remaining 1 tablespoon margarine in a medium frying pan. Add onions and red pepper and saute until just soft, about 6 minutes. Add lentils, yeast extract, tomato paste and parsley. Season to taste with pepper. Gently mix until combined. Set aside.
4) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll out on a lightly board. Line a 9-inch loose-bottom tart pan with dough. Prick bottom of pastry with a fork. Spoon lentil mixture into pastry. Bake for 30 minutes, or until filling is very firm. Yield: 6 servings.