Chocolate flan

With a pastry case and a luscious baked chocolate custard filling, this is the kind of dessert that will call you back for another slice!

Chocolate flan. Credit: The Chocolate Queen

• serves

  12

• prep

  1:30 hour

• cook

  1:20 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Chocolate Custard Filling

• 2 eggs
• 75 g caster sugar
• 35 g corn flour
• 250 ml thickened cream
• 250 ml full cream milk
• 75 g good quality dark couverture chocolate, 57%

Rough puff pastry

• 170 g unsalted butter, cold
• 175 g baker’s flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 60-70 ml ice water
• baker’s flour, for dusting

Chilling time: 30 minutes.

Instructions

1. Place the eggs, sugar and corn flour into a bowl and whisk by hand until there are no lumps remaining.
2. Add the cream and whisk to combine.
3. Place the milk into a saucepan and heat until just prior to boiling point. Slowly pour the hot milk over the egg mixture while whisking.
4. Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk continuously over medium heat until the custard begins to thicken. Immediately pour the custard over the dark chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has completely melted and incorporated.
5. Wrap with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator.
6. For the pastry: Grate the cold butter. If the butter begins to soften, place it back into the refrigerator before continuing.
7. Place the grated butter, baker’s flour and salt into a bowl.
8. Gradually add the water while mixing by hand, until the ingredients just come together as a dough with visible pieces of butter remaining.
9. Roll the dough out into a rectangle on a floured workbench, approximately 35 cm x 20 cm in size.
10. Fold the dough one third of the way in on itself, then fold the opposite side on top.
11. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll it out into a rectangle the opposite way, then fold it as per the instructions above.
12. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and folding process again.
13. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
14. Heat the oven to 220° (200°C fan forced). Place a ring, 16 cm in diameter and 4 cm in height, onto a lined baking tray.
15. Roll the chilled dough out to a rectangle and fold it one final time as per the above instructions.
16. Finally, roll the dough to approximately 3 mm in thickness and use a pastry docker, or fork, to pierce the dough. Cut a disc, 26 cm in diameter, out of the dough and use it to line the ring. Line the dough with heat proof plastic wrap, or scrunched baking paper, and fill with uncooked rice.
17. Blind bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes.
18. Remove the lining and bake for a further 35 minutes, until light golden in colour.
19. Allow to cool slightly before using a serrated edged knife to trim any excess pastry from the top.
20. To assemble: Heat the oven to 240°C (220°C, fan forced).
21. Whisk the prepared chilled chocolate custard filling until smooth. Fill the prepared pastry case with the custard. Use a spoon or spatula to smooth over the custard, ensuring it is level with the top of the case.
22. Bake in the pre-heated oven, on the top oven rack, for 10-15 minutes, until the custard starts to form a skin and look slightly burnt. Remove the flan from the oven.
23. Allow to cool completely in the refrigerator. Ensure the custard filling is chilled and set prior to cutting.

Note

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.