Flan and apologies...

So apparently every time I think I've caught up and work and life and everything else have slowed down and I feel like I can get back to things I enjoy (knitting, blogging, you know the good things :) ) I end up being wrong - very wrong! Last month was a complete bust, well not professionally, just blog-wise because I ended up working my tail off for the latter 1/2 of the month in a way that is uncommon unless it's the end of a quarter. This month is starting to escape and I feel like the ultimate blog slacker, a very sad blog slacker. Everyone has been posting up delicious seasonal recipes and I realized that while I've been cooking (sort of) it's nothing like the amazing dishes that I'm seeing online - like I said, I'm a slacker!

Alas, once more I will try to regain my blogging devotion - I present for your enjoyment a favorite recipe (probably been posted here before) with a new twist - Flan Napolitano with Fresh Blackberry Sauce. The Flan is a tried and true favorite, one I originally got from mom (see her post from 07)

Flan Napolitano
1/4 c. Sugar
4 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk~La Lechera, or Eagle Brand
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
4 oz. cream cheese (small Philadelphia cream cheese packet)

Caramelize & melt sugar in the bottom of flan pan (9 inch cake pan with high sides will be fine also but cover firmly with foil when baking), allow it to darken, set aside. Add all remaining ingredients: eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla & cream cheese, placing into a blender. Blend till this mixture is smooth, about 1 min. Then pour into Flan Pan onto caramelized sugar in bottom of pan. Place lid on flan pan & clamp down. Place flan pan in H2O (about 2-3 inches up the side of the pan in water bath) Bake 1 hr. 15 min. @ 350 or till knife comes out clean & flan is firm. Cool in pan. Can be refrigerated over night for best firmness & flavor. Place in warm water to loosen from pan & turn out onto platter or cake stand. The burnt sugar caramel makes the top of the Flan a nice golden color.

Fresh Blackberry Sauce:
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 c. fresh or frozen blackberries

Combine lemon juice and cornstarch in saucepan. Add sugar and blackberries. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thick. Once it has thickened to desired consistency, pull aside and pour through a fine sieve, press as much juice as you can through the sieve. Use juice as sauce - discard what is left in sieve.



Yup I'm ok with the fact that this is really not a seasonal fruit, actually I made this back in May and have kept it stashed (ok I forgot to post it) but it is tasty no matter what!

And just because I need to show off something funny - here's a photo from our newest grocery spot - Sporuts - they had a 'cheese artist' who carved Bevo (aka the Longhorns' mascot) into a gigantic block of chipotle cheese not something you see every day!