Description
Julia Child’s cinnamon toast flan blends classic French custard techniques with American breakfast comfort. Silky caramel-glazed dessert combines nostalgic bread flavors and elegant baking precision you’ll savor with delightful memories.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 large eggs
- 5 egg yolks
- 8 slices cinnamon bread
- 3 ¾ cups (890 ml) hot milk
- 4 tbsps (60 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tbsps (22.5 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Bread Preparation: Select premium cinnamon bread with a soft texture, then slice into uniform 1/2-inch thick pieces to guarantee optimal absorption and consistency.
- Caramel Creation: Melt granulated sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, swirling continuously until it transforms into a rich amber liquid without stirring, then pour into a 9-inch round baking dish, coating bottom and sides evenly.
- Custard Composition: Whisk eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl until the mixture becomes smooth and perfectly integrated.
- Layering Technique: Arrange cinnamon bread slices in an overlapping pattern within the caramel-lined dish, ensuring complete bottom coverage, then gently pour custard mixture over bread, allowing liquid to saturate every crevice.
- Resting Phase: Let the prepared dish rest for 15-20 minutes, enabling bread to absorb custard and develop a luxurious, pudding-like consistency.
- Thermal Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and create a water bath by placing the baking dish in a larger roasting pan filled with hot water.
- Baking Process: Cook the flan for 45-50 minutes, watching for slight edge jiggle while ensuring the center sets but remains slightly soft.
- Cooling and Serving: Remove from oven, cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 2 hours before inverting onto a serving platter, allowing caramel to cascade dramatically over the bread for a decadent presentation.
Notes
- Choose Premium Bread: Select high-quality, soft cinnamon bread with rich flavor and pillowy texture to elevate the dessert’s overall taste experience.
- Master Caramel Technique: Melt sugar slowly without stirring, swirling continuously to achieve a perfect amber color that prevents burning and ensures smooth caramelization.
- Absorb Custard Completely: Let bread soak for 15-20 minutes before baking, allowing complete saturation and developing a luxurious, pudding-like consistency with maximum flavor penetration.
- Bake with Precision: Use a water bath and monitor baking time carefully, ensuring edges have a slight jiggle while the center remains soft for the perfect custard texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 220 mg