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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Blueberry Flan

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Flan. It's one of those desserts I'd heard of, but would have never thought twice to make it at home or order it off a restaurant dessert menu. I didn't even know what flan was (not sure that I do now), but I pictured it as some jiggly, shiny, rather unappetizing looking dessert. Not exactly the dessert eye-candy I typically go for...

But what the birthday boy wants, the birthday boy gets. This time, the birthday boy was Justin, my brother-in-law. Last year I surprised him with Guinness and Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes, but this year he put in a rather specific request: Blueberry Flan. Typically, I like requests. They save me the process of trying to find the "perfect" dessert that will satisfy the guest of honor. Plus, if they request it, it's a pretty surefire bet that they're going to like it. In other words, mission accomplished.

The blueberry flan request, however, caught me off guard. I was deep in the throes of planning my Cheesecake Extravaganza and hadn't expected such a random choice. Still, I didn't want to let Justin down so I began a Google search for blueberry flan and blueberry flan is what he got!

How traditional this flan is, I'm not sure. For one, it has a crust. For another, it's made with yogurt. Traditional or not, this went over better than expected...especially since Justin had simply been expecting regular flan topped with blueberries. My misinterpretation turned out to be a good thing. After baking it, I wasn't even sure if it would appear on The Sweets Life...but the reaction it got at Justin's birthday lunch warranted this appearance, lest any of you find yourselves with a request (or a craving) for blueberry flan! I think it makes for a light dessert or even a brunch option--there is yogurt in it after all!

One Year Ago: Lemon Tart (Ryan's favorite dessert to date)
Two Years Ago: Blue Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Blueberry Flan
slightly adapted from The Three Cheeses Food Blog

Ingredients:
for the crust-
-1 1/2 cups plain four (scant)
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/3 cup butter, softened
-1 egg
-1 tsp vanilla

for the filling-
-2-2 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen, which may need longer to bake) blueberries
-2 tbsp plain flour
-2 cups plain yogurt
-1 egg
-2/3 cup sugar
-2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
-1 tsp vanilla
-pinch each of salt & cinnamon

Directions:
1. Combine crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (or by hand) until well mixed. Press firmly into the bottom of a greased 9-inch cake or springform pan. Sprinkle blueberries on top of crust.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour evenly over blueberries.
3. Bake at 375F for approximately 60 minutes, until golden on the top. Serve warm or chilled (I served 24 hours later).