French Flan

 

This is definitely the last post about France, promise. But I couldn't really write about France without mentioning the food now could I.  I've already told you about the amazing teas.  Paris was full of awesome tea rooms...and there was me going for the coffee shops. On the way home we spent a couple of days in Normandy. All the usual holiday haunts Deauville and Trouville. Honfleur that's very pretty but a bit like Disney Land...and quieter...less touristy, St Pair sur mer. 

For me the fondest food memories weren't of high cuisine but the salons de thé with amazing filled tarts and already mentioned wonderful teas. The pattisseries that sold filled baguettes and quiches that even in the quietest little back waters would have elegantly beautiful pastries and tarts. They  must have taken ages to make.  What I especially loved was the way they would take time and care to wrap up a simple peice of flan, just like a little parcel. And if you bought the fancy cakes there was all bells and whistle in the decorating department...ribbons and bows and pink boxes. 

But my all time favourite was the simple old homely flan...I just had to have a go at making some myself when I got back home...and it's so easy...

French flan 

Ingredients:

• Two cups of milk
• Four medium eggs or three large ones
• One third of a cup of sugar or alternative such as maple syrup or honey
• Vanilla extract or pod

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a ban marie, water bath.
2. Beat the eggs together with the sugar until combined
3. Add the milk and vanilla extract or seeds from the vanilla pod and mix well then pour into an oven proof dish.
4. Carefully place the dish into the bain marie and then into the oven and cook until set. It will have puffed up a little. Probably between 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Remove the dish and leave to cool. Once cooled down place in the fridge to set completely.

The last day we even managed to spend the whole time on the beach, wind blown and creased...linen doesn't travel well and isn't the most attractive beach attire and it does seem to add about a foot to my waist on camera...but it's comfy...who cares, we were on holiday. It was good to walk for miles and watch the locals digging for razor clams. Spot crabs and jelly fish in rock pools or try to make out Mont St Michel in the distance...and plan to come back soon...Perfect end to a perfectly lovely holiday...