With the holidays here, the treats are constant, so I wanted to share one of my favorite things to make (and it’s super easy too)! Flan has always been a favorite but when Venezuelan Quesillo was introduced to me, I realized that I’d been missing out. What is Quesillo? It’s flan, but with rum. So I guess it’s easy to tell why Quesillo is better than flan. *wink*.

Let’s get down to business and jump right in, here is my (the best) recipe for authentic, Venezuelan Quesillo dessert (or flan, and it will vary depending on who you ask).

Equipment you will need:

• A glass pie pan (9 inches)
• A large baking sheet with edges high enough to hold water.
• A pot to make the caramel in
• A blender to blend all the ingredients

The ingredients for the caramel

• One cup white sugar
• Half cup water

Instructions for the Caramel

1. Add the water and the sugar to a pot over the stove.
2. Mix it well before it gets too hot to make it a white cloudy mixture
3. On high heat, let the sugar and water do it’s magic, we don’t touch it until it starts to get dark – about 8-10 or so minutes depending on your heat level.
4. Cook until the water reduces and the caramel becomes a dark rum color. It will get thick and stay clear for a bit, and then it will start to burn (which is what you want). Note the color below, and you can remove the caramel from the heat when it’s just a bit lighter than below because it’s so hot it will continue cooking itself for a few minutes.
5. Pour the sticky caramel into the glass pie pan and tilt the pan around so the caramel covers the entire inside of the pan.
6. Set it to cool about 5 minutes before adding the filling ingredients.

The ingredients for the Quesillo filling

• 14 OZ Sweetened condensed milk
• 5 eggs
• 7 OZ coconut milk
• 7 OZ half and half or whole milk (I’ve tried with both, half and half makes it just a bit creamier)
• 1 Tablespoon of vanilla
• 4 Tablespoons of dark rum (extra points if it’s Venezuelan)
• Half a cup of shredded coconut flakes (completely optional)
• Half teaspoon of salt.

Instructions for the Quesillo filling

1. Combine all the ingredients into a blender and blend it on high for about 5 minutes. You want to make sure to blend it at least 5 minutes so it can almost “whip” a little bit, this will help the consistency of the final product.
2. Once the caramel in the pie pan has cooled off for about 5 minutes, pour the mixture into the pie pan.

Baking instructions

• Bake covered (tin foil is great) for one hour at 350 degrees fahrenheit in a water bath (baño de Maria, or Bain-Marie).
• For the water bath, I set the pie pan in my large baking sheet that has a 1 inch edge and I fill it about 3/4 of the way with water. This helps the quesillo bake properly and keeps the oven humid.
• After baking for an hour, take it out and do the old knife trick to see how clean it comes out. If it’s clean, it’s good to go, if it’s messy, put it back in for another 5-10 minutes. The quesillo should jiggle a bit but not look like it might fall apart.

Flipping the Quesillo

Put a serving plate face down on the pie pan and quickly flip the quesillo onto the plate (being sure to record a video on your phone for making good memories). Sometimes it will slide right out, and other times you will need to jiggle it (lightly, or strongly) to get it out. Be CAREFUL not to be too violent, otherwise you risk breaking the quesillo (and make sure it’s fully cooled off, too) – it will still be yummy, it will just be less pretty. Don’t forget to get all the yummy caramel out of the baking pan as well.

Serving instructions

• It is best to serve the quesillo completely chilled, but I understand that sometimes it’s just too much self control. Let the pan cool before putting it into the fridge. The quesillo will be better after it has rested for a day.
• Make sure to use some of the liquid caramel from the pan and spoon it on top of each slice. The slightly burnt flavor of the caramel goes so nicely with the cool, creamy, custardy, dessert.

Isn’t that just so easy? I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Let me know if you make it, I’d love to see a snap shot of how it turned out and hear about how delicious it is!

That’s all for now folks,

Yours, Dan DuPraw