The Impressive Dessert That Dylan Dreyer Has Been Making Since She Was a Kid
NBC meteorologist and Today Show third-hour anchor Dylan Dreyer and her son Cal were at it again recently with a new recipe to share as part of their "Cooking With Cal" segment on the morning show. Dreyer and Cal, whom she calls her "favorite little sous chef," were hard at work sharing Dreyer's mother's recipe for caramel coconut flan. Dreyer says that she has been making the recipe for years alongside her mother and shared a pic of the original recipe (which is tattered, yellowed and torn) to prove how much it's loved in her household.
In my opinion, flan is one of those desserts that you see on menus sometimes but aren’t really sure what to expect (or if it’s even all that exciting or worth ordering). Dreyer‘s recipe, however, is here to change your mind about all of that. With only a few ingredients and a little know-how you can make this classic Latin dessert in under an hour.
Since the recipe looked so delicious (and easy!), I knew it was something I needed to try. So, I headed out to grab the simple ingredients and gave it a shot to see just how simple this elegant dessert actually was.
Get the recipe: Dylan Dreyer's Caramel Coconut Flan
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Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
Ingredients for Dylan Dreyer's Coconut Caramel Flan
As mentioned above, this recipe surprisingly only calls for a few simple ingredients. All you'll need is sugar, large eggs, evaporated milk, salt, coconut flakes, some toasted coconut for garnish (optional) and about an hour of your time.
How to Make Dylan Dreyer's Coconut Caramel Flan
Preheat your oven to 350°F and place a 6-cup mold or baking dish into a roasting pan filled with about an inch of water (I used an 8 x 8-inch baking dish à la Dreyer). Place into the oven while you make the recipe.
Heat one cup of sugar in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly (this is not the step for little hands). After the sugar turns a yummy golden color, remove the hot pan from the water bath, dry it off slightly, and pour in the caramel, swirling to coat the bottom and a little bit of the sides of the dish. Depending on how much caramel you end up with, it should be a thin coat. Set the baking dish aside while you prepare your other ingredients.
In a large bowl, using either a hand or stand mixer, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the remaining sugar, salt and two 12-ounce cans of evaporated milk. Mix well. Stir in the flaked coconut before pouring the mixture into your slightly cooled baking dish with the caramel on the bottom.
Place the baking dish back into the water bath and bake for an hour at 350°F. You'll know it's done when the sides are set but the middle is a little bit jiggly. Set on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes and then pop into the fridge to cool completely before inverting it onto a plate (so the caramel will be on top).
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Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
What I Thought of Dylan Dreyer's Coconut Caramel Flan
I’ve ordered flan at restaurants before, but I’ve never tried my hand at making one. This was easy, but only if you’re aware of some of the tips and tricks in order to ensure success (see below for these).
I love coconut and caramel, so this was absolutely delicious. The slices of this are custardy and smooth, like a grown-up version of Jell-O Jigglers, but with way more class. The real fun is unmolding onto a plate. It pops out of the mold with a satisfying slide while the caramel oozes down the sizes onto the plate. The caramel sits on top of the custard like a little golden halo until you cut into it.
This is a very custardy (read: eggy), subtly sweet dessert. It's good for a crowd and it's a great one for kids as well — both for making and for eating. I enjoyed the slight chew of the coconut flakes paired with the caramel and the custard base was smooth and velvety. It was fantastic, but I think next time I'll add a splash of vanilla extract.
If you like custard and aren't afraid of a bit of a kitchen challenge, this is the perfect late-summer/early-fall dessert project for you to try. This dessert is all about fun and once you make it, you'll feel the same. I love that it looks super impressive but doesn’t take a whole lot of time or effort to put together and because of that, I'd make it again and again.
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
Tips for Making Dylan Dreyer's Coconut Caramel Flan
1. Be careful when you’re making the caramel. Sugar burns hurt so you'll want to take it easy while making this. You don't need a candy thermometer for this one, but I don't have to tell you that hot sugar is not something you want to play around with.
2. Mind your vessel. No matter what vessel you choose, keep in mind that extreme temperature changes could cause a glass dish to crack. Dreyer uses a glass 8 x 8-inch pan and a stainless roasting pan in her recipe; I used the same. However, if you have a stainless roasting pan and a stainless mold, use those instead if you're not confident in your glass pan/temperature-controlling skills. It will eliminate the possibility that something will go terribly wrong and you’ll have a shattered glass and sugar mess on your hands instead of a delicious one. You can also use a loaf pan, a round metal cake pan, or individual ramekins.
3. Watch the sugar carefully. The sugar melts slowly, so don't be alarmed if this step takes about 10 minutes. Stir constantly, watch it like a hawk and remove it from the heat promptly when it's just melted down. The sugar will get clumpy and dry, then start to melt down. It turns a golden color fast and it can go from golden to burnt in an instant, so be sure to take it off the heat and pour it into your pan right away for best results.
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