Here we had plenty of rain throughout the whole weekend. But honestly, I didn't mind it at all. There is something about a rainy day that makes me want to slow down, stay home and spend a little more time in the kitchen.
So, instead of worrying about the weather, we decided to make the most of it and do some cooking.
And sometimes, that's exactly what a long weekend needs: a little time at home, something delicious baking or cooking in the kitchen, and no particular hurry.
This Easter weekend also brought me a couple of lovely surprises. I received two beautiful emails from readers, and one of them came from Marcela, from the lovely blog Food, Travel and Wine. She was also hosting a contest and a wonderful giveaway at the time.
One of the questions that came up in our conversation was one I thought would be fun to explore here:
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What's the difference between Flan and Crème Brûlée?
Thank you, Marcela and K., for your lovely words. Receiving an email from someone who has taken the time to read one of my recipes and write to me has always felt very special. It reminds me that behind every blog visit, there is a real person on the other side of the screen.
And K.'s question gave me the perfect excuse to make flan again—but this time, I wanted to give it a little twist.
Instead of making a traditional flan, I decided to infuse the milk with coconut and fresh ginger. The coconut adds a delicate tropical flavour, while the fresh ginger brings a gentle warmth and a little bit of spice.
But before we get to that recipe, let's talk about these two classic desserts.
At first glance, flan and crème brûlée can seem very similar. They are both creamy custard desserts made with eggs, sugar and dairy, and both are wonderfully silky when prepared properly.
But once you taste them, the differences become much easier to notice.
Crème brûlée is traditionally made with heavy cream, egg yolks and sugar. The mixture is gently baked until it becomes a rich, smooth and delicate custard.
But the most recognisable part of crème brûlée is what happens at the very end: a layer of sugar is sprinkled over the surface and caramelised until it forms a thin, crisp crust.
That contrast is part of the magic—a warm, crackly caramelised topping followed by a rich and silky custard underneath.
Because it is traditionally made with cream and egg yolks, crème brûlée tends to have a richer and more luxurious texture.
Flan is also a custard dessert, but its texture and preparation are somewhat different.
Traditional flan is often made with milk, whole eggs and sugar, although recipes vary considerably from one country and family to another. Some versions use condensed milk, evaporated milk or cream, while others are kept very simple.
What makes flan especially special to me is the caramel.
Instead of having a crisp caramelised sugar crust like crème brûlée, flan is baked with caramel in the bottom of the mould. Once the flan has chilled and is turned onto a plate, that caramel becomes a beautiful glossy sauce that slowly runs over the custard.
The result is soft, delicate and creamy, with that unmistakable combination of silky custard and bittersweet caramel.
And there is another thing I love about flan: it doesn't really belong to just one country or one kitchen.
Across Latin America, you'll find many different versions of flan. The ingredients and techniques may change from country to country—and even from one family to another—but the idea of a tender custard served with caramel is something many of us recognise.
For me, that's part of what makes recipes like this so special. They can travel across borders, change a little along the way, and still feel like home.
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Well... that's a difficult question!
If you love a rich, creamy custard with a crisp caramelised sugar topping, crème brûlée might be your dessert.
If you prefer a softer, lighter custard with a generous caramel sauce, flan is hard to beat.
Personally, I have a soft spot for flan.
Perhaps it's because flan reminds me of the kind of desserts that feel familiar and comforting—something you can make for your family, chill in the refrigerator and bring to the table when everyone is ready for dessert.
And this time, I wanted to make it just a little different.
For this version, I kept the basic idea of a traditional flan but added coconut and fresh ginger to the milk.
The coconut gives the custard a subtle sweetness and a lovely aroma, while the fresh ginger adds a delicate warmth that keeps the dessert from becoming overly sweet.
I especially love how the ginger slowly perfumes the milk as it warms. It's one of those small steps that doesn't take much extra effort but makes the finished dessert feel a little more special.
And that's really what I enjoy about cooking: taking something familiar and making a small change that gives it a completely different personality.
This coconut and ginger flan is still recognisably flan, with its soft custard and beautiful caramel sauce, but it has an unexpected little twist.
Perfect for a family dessert, a special dinner or simply for one of those rainy afternoons when you feel like staying home and making something from scratch.
So, if you've ever wondered about the difference between flan and crème brûlée, I hope this helped clear things up.
And if you have a favourite version of flan from your country or your family, I'd love to hear about it. Food has a wonderful way of telling us where we come from—and sometimes, a simple dessert can carry a lot more memories than we realise.
Now, let's make some flan. ♥︎makes 6- 8
1 cup sugar
1 / 2 cup water
For the flan:
4 cups hot milk
1 / 2 cup sugar
6 medium eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Green Cardamom seeds
Preparation:
First preheat oven to 180 ° C / (350 F.)
To prepare the caramel, place sugar and water in a medium saucepan and simmer, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer 5 to 10 minutes until caramel is made turning its color turn from golden brown to dark brown. Remove from heat. Working quickly but-- at the same time being careful not to burn yourself-- pour hot caramel into molds and spread throughout the base.
To prepare the custard, place milk, sugar, grated ginger and coconut in a saucepan. And slowly heat the milk– do not let the milk boil-- stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and milk is hot.
*Flan can be made the night before. Just keep it in the refrigerator.