The Martin Cooking

Almond Chocoflan

Did you know chocoflan is also known as “impossible flan.”  It’s such an interesting dessert because it is baked in layers, at the same time.  Chocolate batter is poured over the dulce de leche layer, then the flan mixture is poured on top. Somewhere in the middle of baking, sorcery happens and the layer of batter switches places with the layer of flan.  Then, this magical dessert is created….

What I find most interesting about this “impossible flan” is that it is one of the easiest desserts to prepare. It looks impossible, but it’s not.  Flan making takes skills and lots of practice, 2nd degree burns and ruined pans (in my case), when it comes to getting the caramel to the perfect consistency and beautiful amber color.  All chocoflan needs is a layer of dulce de leche instead of the amber caramel that takes so much care to get it just right.  If you don’t have dulce de leche or cannot find it at your local supermarket, use ice cream caramel topping.  Easy as that!

¾ cup cajeta or dulce de leche
Ingredients for cake batter:

• 1 stick butter, unsalted
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup slivered almonds
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 egg

Ingredients for flan

• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12oz can evaporated milk
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• Ingredients for garnish:
• Slivered almonds
• 6 blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Grease bottoms and sides of ramekins. Pour dulce de leche into the molds. Move the mold around to evenly coat bottoms.
Directions for cake batter:
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar with electric hand mixer until smooth. Add the egg and mix until combined. In a separate mixing bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine both mixtures and mix on medium to low speed, carefully adding the buttermilk until all ingredients have evenly combined. Fold in slivered almonds.
Directions for flan:
4. Place the eggs, almond extract, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk in a blender and puree until smooth.
To assemble:
5. Pour cake batter about ½ way up the ramekin mold. Then pour the flan mixture over batter.
6. Arrange molds in a 9x13-glass baking dish, pour hot water into the dish to approximately halfway up the sides of the molds (be careful not to get water in the ramekins). Cover entire dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake batter comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and let the chocoflans cool in the baking dish for 15 minutes. Remove from dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
8. To serve:
9. Run a knife around the sides of the mold. Place a serving plate over the mold and quickly invert the flan on the plate. Carefully remove the mold. Decorate with slivered almonds in a flower formation and a blueberry as the center of flower.