It is about time for a new recipe! The most recent one I shared was a month ago, when I published the Red Velvet for Valentine’s day. I have been a bit busier the past few weeks, but today I return with another classic dessert with a twist.
Did you know that custard pudding (or flan) is one of the most popular sweets in Japan? The Japanese version of this treat is very similar to the Portuguese one. The biggest difference is that, besides milk, it also contains heavy cream, which gives it an even silkier texture. If you saw my Instagram reel, you’ve seen how creamy it is.
I added a bit of Port wine to the recipe, to give it a bit of a Portuguese side as well. Of course, you can add other flavors in about the same amounts, but here at home we enjoyed it just like this. I also chose to use lactose-free milk and cream – if you want to, then regular milk and cream are fine to use too.
This is one of those desserts you can quickly make ahead of time and leave to rest in the fridge overnight, ready to enjoy the next day.
Japanese Custard Pudding (lactose free)
Ingredients
For the caramel:
- 100 g white sugar
- 100 ml water
For the puddings:
- 600 ml milk (lactose free)
- 200 ml heavy cream (lactose free)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 5 eggs
- 110 g white sugar
- 1 tbsp Port wine
Instructions
For the caramel:
- Bring water and sugar over medium heat, without stirring.
- Let boil until you have a caramel. The darker the color, the less sweet it will be. I prefer to turn off the heat after I have a lighter color – if you measure with a thermometer, this should be around 160 º C.
- Quickly spread this caramel on the bottom of the pudding pans.
For the puddings:
- Preheat the oven to 150 º C.
- Bring the milk and cream to a boil with half of the sugar and the vanilla.
- In the meantime, beat the eggs with the remaining sugar until paler.
- Slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture, whisking through the whole process.
- Add the Port wine and mix again.
- Distribute between the pudding pans. Bake in a water bath, using a large tray with shallow water.
- Cook for about 40 to 50 minutes. Let them cool down a little and refrigerate for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight).
- When it is time to serve the puddings, use a sharp knife around the edges of the puddings to release them to the serving plates. Serve with toasted dry fruits.
