Maybe, only maybe, will this be better than a midnight rendezvous. N-O-T! **please do forgive, that was my alter-ego talking. I introduce you to Chelsea, who simply does not care**

I was charged with making an espresso flan by the host of Good Day Atlanta. So on a day of beautiful weather, lots of cleaning to do, and thinking about my college days at UVa (a sweet phone call prompted this), I took on the task of attempting a new flavor. Added bonus: raspberry extract! Yum. This one is for Mark. Though I quit coffee all-together about 2 months ago, I managed to pull out my Bustelo with a BIG smile. I’d not been tempted since I quit. I keep it in an old Planters Peanut glass jar in the fridge in the event I experience unannounced withdrawal. Was I going to be strong enough to resist the evil bean that keeps me up until 4 a.m.? Or am I going to flinch my eyelids and pretend I’m scooping out Turkish coffee (which is waaaaay more pungent than ours)? I’d almost rather opt for the latter. I drive to my friend’s house with all my equipment and get to working. Oh wait! I forgot the french press espresso maker at home! Aargh…it must be the gods keeping me from falling by the wayside of addiction.

Bear with me as I experiment here. I make my custard, adding raspberry extract, which my mother highly recommended against, percolate the coffee in my electric travel espresso machine (one of the best gifts my mother could have given me) and make the caramel in extreme cooking kind of ways. I recently saw an Iron Chef competition were Wolfgang’s pastry chef was making caramel in the same fashion, only she was additionally making strings of caramel by taking a fork, pulling out the 100 degree plus sugar and producing strings with her fingers. Yikes. TFN even stated a disclaimer telling the viewer DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! But, I will next time I’m at mami’s house.

I no longer consider using the pressure cooker as cheating. I’m always pressed for time, so I make no apologies for the expedited method. I make a Maria bath and in 35 minutes it’s done! I opened it up to see how the bottom looked and I have to pat myself on the back because it looked and smelled damn good! Since I’m still pressed for time (it’s now 10:30 pm), I put it in the freezer.

Mark is going to have to wait until Tuesday to get another espresso flan. Oh well, guy. I totally fell by that wayside. I had a slice with un poco de cafè con leche (espresso w/milk-somewhat of an American lattè). I say this as if the slice alone wouldn’t have qualified as an addiction withdrawal. With 1/2 cup (the equivalent of 3 shots) of dark roast espresso, it’d be enough to call it a fall. Wait, wait, I only had one slice, so by measurement, I’m really okay. Anyway, talk about a midnight snack to compensate for some….

“Say good night, Chelsea.”

I bring to you another flan. I am not responsible for your restless night or tardy arrival at work. Or even the guilty feeling of having a really strong espresso in a sinfully delicious dessert. Again, I do ask you to share with me your thoughts! I’m thinking of adding a spirit! *** EMAIL ME YOUR SUGGESTION AND THE WINNING LIQUEUR WILL BE ADDED TO MY NEXT ESPRESSO/RASPBERRY FLAN! *** YOU MAY CHOOSE FROM:

• Navan Grand Marnier
• Raspberry Vodka
• Frangelico
• Your own suggestion

Good riddin’s this is fun! I vow to not have coffee, anymore. Well, not after this week anyway!

ESPRESSO FLAN WITH RASPBERRY

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp raspberry extract
• 1/2 cup of whole milk or water
• 3 shots of Cuban espresso (I like Bustelo)
  

Extra gear:

• flan pan, large saucepan for Maria water bath

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine eggs, condensed & whole milk, espresso & extract and whisk for about 2 minutes. Set aside. Add sugar to the flan pan and bring to medium-high heat. Allow all of sugar to reduce down until golden caramel, without burning. Do not allow the color of the sugar to become too dark. When fully melted down, carefully coat the entire sides of the flan pan with the caramelized sugar (I suggest using a brush if you are not experienced in handling extremely hot caramel). Add mixture to flan pan.

If you have a traditional pan that does not have a lid, cover with aluminum foil. If using a more updated version, cover lid and shut tight. Add 2 cups of water to large saucepan and gently place flan pan into Maria bath. Bring to boil for 60 minutes or until fully cooked. If firm, bring heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove flan pan from Maria bath and discard excess water from saucepan.

Do not remove flan from pan. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours. To serve, using a butter knife, loosen the sides of the flan all the way around. Take a large plate, place upside down on top of flan and flip! Be careful not to waste any of the caramel sauce. Serves 8-10. Enjoy thoroughly!

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There are worse addictions to have. X.