Getting ready for the holidays is always fun, but hectic, which is why I joined a group of fellow bloggers this week to showcase some incredibly awesome cranberry recipe ideas for your holiday meals and desserts.
I made a Cranberry Apple Flan today that I know you will love! It is full of holiday flavor and would be perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and any of the many days in between! (and after)! This recipe doesn’t take long to put together, but I have found that the easiest way to make a recipe with a lot of parts is to gather all your ingredients together first, and then measure what needs to be measured, crack the eggs, pour the milk, etc. Also have your custard cups ready. to go in the pan with water added and your oven on and preheated. The best part of the recipe is you can make it up to a day ahead of time!
Cranberry Apple Flan
(makes 6-7 flan)
(printable recipe at end of page)
6-3/4 cup Custard Cups (glass)
1 cup of fresh Cranberries
1 Granny Smith Apple (peeled)
1 cup Sugar (divided 1/2 and 1/2)
1/4 cup Water
2 cups Whole Milk
4 large Eggs, whisked together
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
Peel the apple, then place the cranberries and apple in a food processor and process like above. Set aside for a few minutes.
Stir together the 1/2 cup sugar and the water using a small heavy saucepan. Use low heat to dissolve the sugar.
Once dissolved, turn the heat up so it boils, and let it boil to the point that the syrup becomes a light amber color. Brush the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, pushing the sugar that collects on the sides down into the syrup. Swirl the pan a few times during the process. This should take about 10 minutes.
Place the custard cups in a baking dish that will fit them all. You can use a lasagna pan, or anything that will let the 6 cups set in the bottom of the pan. Once the syrup starts to turn light amber, watch it closely, and as it turns a bit darker, start pouring the syrup into each little cup. Do this quickly, tilting the cups, coating the bottom and going just a little bit up the sides.
Combine the milk and 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium sized saucepan, using low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the eggs, whisking them together first. Add vanilla and salt and stir.
Start pouring the custard mix into the bowls, pouring it through the cheesecloth, straining the custard. Make sure to leave some room in the bowls to add the mix of cranberries and apple. You can always go back and add more custard before it goes in the oven.
Add the chopped apple and cranberries to the custard. I always stuff the bowls full to achieve the full flavor. Add water to the baking dish, going about 1/2 way up the side of the cups.
Bake until the center of the flan is set, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove cups from the water to stop them from cooking. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Chill the cups for a minimum of 4 hours, and they can chill for up to a day max. Top with whipped cream, if desired!
To release the custard from the cups, just take a small knife or a toothpick around the sides of the cup, then place the plate you want to serve on over the top of the custard cup, and flip it over. The custard should slide out easily! Enjoy!
It’s Cranberry Week! See all the other delicious cranberry recipes being shared today (and follow #cranberryweek to see even more):
- Chocolate Cranberry Blondies from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Cranberry Amaretto Ice Cream from The Redhead Baker
- Cranberry Apple Flan from The Freshman Cook
- Cranberry Breakfast Smoothie from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Cranberry Crescent Rolls with Maple Icing from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Cranberry Curd Tart from Savory Moments
- Cranberry Glazed Meatballs from Palatable Pastime
- Cranberry Mule from The Spiffy Cookie
- Cranberry Nut Cream Cheese Ball from Our Crafty Mom
- Cranberry Orange Scones from Caroline’s Cooking
- Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls from Cookaholic Wife
- Cranberry Pecan Mini Cheeseballs from Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Gin & {Cranberry-Orange} Jam Cocktail from Books n’ Cooks
- Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites from Sweet Beginnings
- Turkey Nachos with Cranberry Salsa from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- 6-3/4 cup Custard Cups (glass)
- 1 cup of fresh Cranberries
- 1 Granny Smith Apple (peeled)
- 1 cup Sugar (divided 1/2 and 1/2)
- 1/4 cup Water
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 4 large Eggs, whisked together
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Pinch of Salt
- Peel the apple, then place the cranberries and apple in a food processor and process like above. Set aside for a few minutes.
- Stir together the 1/2 cup sugar and the water using a small heavy saucepan. Use low heat to dissolve the sugar.
- Once dissolved, turn the heat up so it boils, and let it boil to the point that the syrup becomes a light amber color. Brush the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, pushing the sugar that collects on the sides down into the syrup. Swirl the pan a few times during the process. this should take about 10 minutes.
- Place the custard cups in a baking dish that will fit them all. You can use a lasagna pan, or anything that will let the 6 cups set in the bottom of the pan. Once the syrup starts to turn light amber, watch it closely, and as it turns a bit darker, start pouring the syrup into each little cup. Do this quickly, tilting the cups, coating the bottom and going just a little bit up the sides.
- Combine the milk and 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium sized saucepan, using low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the eggs, whisking them together first. Add vanilla and salt and stir.
- Start pouring the custard mix into the bowls, pouring it through the cheesecloth, straining the custard. Make sure to leave some room in the bowls to add the mix of cranberries and apple. You can always go back and add more custard before it goes in the oven.
- Add the chopped apple and cranberries to the custard. I always stuff the bowls full to achieve the full flavor. Add water to the baking dish, going about 1/2 way up the side of the cups.
- Bake until the center of the flan is set, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove cups from the water to stop them from cooking. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Chill the cups for a minimum of 4 hours, and they can chill for up to a day max. Top with whipped cream, if desired!
- To release the custard from the cups, just take a small knife or a toothpick around the sides of the cup, then place the plate you want to serve on over the top of the custard cup, and flip it over. The custard should slide out easily!