Cookie Flan

The Perfect Marriage: Cookies and Flan

What happens when the crunch of cookies meets the silky smoothness of flan? You get Cookie Flan!

This dish was inspired by our trip to Rouen in France during the end of 2022. I was these interesting looking cakes that were dying to be tasted!

So I searched online and tried out Yumelise' recipe to see if I can replicate this dessert.

So far I can tell you that this dish is really worth a try!

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g sugar
• 75g brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 140g flour
• 2g salt
• 1g baking powder
• 100g dark chocolate chips

For the Flan

• 500g whole milk
• 150g double cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 100g sugar
• 40g cornstarch
• 40g unsalted butter

Method

Creating the Cookie Base

1. Cream the butter and sugars together until you've got a light a fluffy mixture.
2. Then, whisk in the egg until combined.
3. Gradually add in the flour, salt, and baking powder, mixing just until combined.
4. Toss in the dark chocolate chips and give it a final stir.
5. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours or even overnight.
6. Once chilled, roll out the dough to 6mm and line a 7-inch springform pan.
7. Put back in the in the freezer while you're prepping the custard.

Creating the Flan

1. To make the flan, heat the milk, vanilla, and cream in a saucepan, stirring continuously until it hits around 70°C.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch.
3. Temper this mixture by pouring in a third of the warm milk mixture while stirring constantly.
4. Pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan and continue whisking until it thickens.
5. Pour this custard mix over the prepared cookie dough in the springform pan.

Baking

1. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170°C for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden.
2. Let it cool overnight before serving to allow the flan to set and for the flavours to develop.

Tips and Tricks

• When creaming butter and sugar, ensure your butter is at room temperature. It'll make the process smoother.
• Be patient when mixing your dough. Overmixing can lead to a tough cookie, and nobody wants that!
• When rolling out the cookie dough, you'll have to work in a cool environment to prevent the dough from melting. You will have to work quickly the hotter your room temperature is.
• Be sure to flour your surface sufficiently to prevent the cookie dough from sticking to your work surface.
• When making the custard, be sure continously mix the milk and cream mixture to prevent it from burning at the bottom of the pan.
• When preparing the egg and sugar mixture, do not leave the eggs and sugar together unmixed to prevent the egg from clumping.
• Be sure to temper the egg and sugar mixture by gradually adding the hot milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture. Do not do it the other way around by adding the egg into the saucepan as the saucepan will be too hot and will cook the eggs.
• Bake at 170C and not any higher. Keep an eye on the flan to see its progress. To test for doneness, give it a little jiggle to see if the centre is no longer liquid and if it has already set.
• Use a 7-inch or 18cm diameter spring-form pan or cake ring with a height of around 3-inches or 8cm. This will make it easier to un-mould the cake.
• Chill the cake overnight before un-moulding the cake to prevent it from breaking apart.
• If using a regular cake tin, line it with parchment paper on the bottom and the sides. Put enough parchment paper on the sides that you can lift the whole cake out of the pan.
• Note that Lining the tin with parchment paper will make it more difficult to form the cookie onto the pan. No amount of greasing or flouring will prevent the cookie dough from sticking onto the pan.
• Don't be tempted to slice into your Cookie Flan immediately after baking. The overnight rest allows the flavors to fully develop and the texture to set perfectly.

Ingredient Substitutes

If you're having trouble finding some ingredients or if dietary restrictions are a concern, here are some swaps that can help:

• Substitute the double cream with full-fat coconut milk for a dairy-free option. Note that the flan will be less creamy due to this substitution and will have a more nutty taste.
• Gluten-free? Use gluten-free flour in place of the regular flour.
• If you're watching your sugar intake, you can swap out the sugars for a natural sweetener like stevia.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of around 100g provides approximately:

• Calories: 300
• Carbohydrate Content: 40g
• Cholesterol Content: 85mg
• Fat Content: 15g
• Protein Content: 5g
• Saturated Fat Content: 9g
• Serving Size: 100g
• Sodium Content: 200mg
• Sugar Content: 25g
• Trans Fat Content: 0g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 6g

Please note that these values are only estimates and can vary depending on the exact brands of ingredients used.

FAQs

What is Cookie Flan?

Cookie Flan is a delightful fusion of cookie dough and flan, offering a unique blend of textures and flavors. The cookie is a chewy type of cookie and the flan is luscious and velvety.

Can I make Cookie Flan dairy-free?

Yes, you can substitute the double cream with full-fat coconut milk for a dairy-free option.

How do I store leftover Cookie Flan?

Cookie Flan can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can I use milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate?

Absolutely! Feel free to customize the recipe with your favorite type of chocolate chips.

Why does the Cookie Flan need to rest overnight before serving?

The overnight rest allows the flavors to fully develop and the texture to set perfectly, making your Cookie Flan even more delicious!