Cheesecake Flan

Cheesecake Flan is sweet, rich, silky and creamy from the custard cream, crunchy from the gram crackers crumbs all at the same time.

It is a very delicate and elegant dessert that can be prepared for any occasion. It is a kind of dessert that needs to be made in advance as chilling it is essential.

The gram crackers crumbs can be optional you can skip that part. But, I liked it because it gives a crunch to the dessert. The quantity of caramel syrup depends on you if you want more you can pour more caramel and less custard. 

Ingredients

To make 4 individual sizes (5.5-ounce) ramekins

For the Custard

• Cream cheese - 1/2cup room temperature
• Parmesan - 2tbsp Grated
• Large egg - 3 beaten
• Vanilla extract - 1tbsp
• Pinch of salt
• White sugar - 1/2cup
• Milk - 1cup plus 2 tbsp

For the crumb crust

• Graham cracker crumbs - 1/2cup
• Butter - 2tbsp melted

For the Ramekins

• Butter - 1tbsp melted
• White sugar - 1/2cup (caramelized to an amber color over medium heat)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 
• Rub the inside of each ramekin with few drops of melted butter until well coated and keep it aside.
• Keep a dry pan over medium heat add 1/2 cup of sugar, make caramelized sugar syrup.

• Pour the caramelized sugar syrup into each ramekin very carefully and spread out to coat the bottom, keep it aside.

• Now, in a bowl add the cream cheese, parmesan, vanilla extract, pinch of salt and beaten eggs, and mix well with a whisk until smooth. 

• Then, heat up milk and sugar to it is very hot not need to boil the milk and sugar dissolves. You can do it in the microwave too.

• Whisk the milk to the cream cheese and egg mixture.

• Then, lay all the milk and cream cheese mixture into the ramekins equally.

• Put each ramekin into a baking dish and add hot tap water to the baking dish about halfway up the sided of the ramekins.

• Transfer the baking dish with ramekins to the preheated oven for 45 mins to 1hr or until the custard is well down with a slight wiggle in the middle.

• In a small bowl add the grama cracker crumbs and butter, with a spoon mix well. Ones well mixed add few spoons of grama crackers on top of each ramekin and press slightly and set a smooth top. 

• Use tongs to remove the ramekins from the baking tray. Bring it into room temperature and put it in the fridge for 2 to 3 hrs.

• Run with a thin knife to help loosen the edge of that flan from the ramekins. Carefully invert that to a plate and if it doesn't slide just shake a bit it will come out smooth. 

• Serve cold.

Cooking Tips

• The baking time is just a guess. To know the custard is down if when you shake the ramekins there should be a slight wiggle in the middle of the custard. The recipe showed me 45 mins but, in my oven, it was down in 35mins. if the center is liquefied put it back in the oven for an extra 5 mins.
• To grease the ramekins you can use oil or baking spray.