My Kitchen - My Haven

This SkinnyBitch has had quite the evening .. much to discuss; much to mull over; much to make amends over.  BUT, that will all have to wait for morning when nerves are calmer and a new day dawns.  Everything is better in the morning-light.  Right?  This girl certainly hopes so ..

So this is where we begin tonight's adventure in the kitchen - I am using IT today as opposed to it using ME.  Call it "Culinary Therapy". 

Tonight's edition features Cheesecake Flan - yeah, I know.  Lofty goal for a melancholy SkinnyBitch, but she feels up to the task despite everything.  I was shocked to find that I had all the ingredients required for this rich beauty already stowed away in the fridge and cupboards - which meeeeeans, you all have no excuse not to give this one a go!

Let's start by making the caramel that goes on the bottom of your Cheesecake Flan -

Caramel Ingredients -
1/4c water
2c sugar

Directions -
Measure out 1/4c of water and pop it into a small saucepan, then top that with 2c of sugar.  Keep the heat on medium-low to prevent any risk of burning; you'll need to do a little bit of babysitting with this, but I find that it's a good time to mix up the batter for the cheesecake portion of this treat while I watch the caramel.  It should take about 15-20 minutes for the caramel to reach it's namesake color!

Cheesecake Batter Ingredients -
12oz cream cheese; nice and softened
3 eggs; room temperature (I find this makes it easier to blend everything together!)
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of condensed milk
1 1/2c milk
2t vanilla
1t cinnamon
1t nutmeg

Directions -

After giving your KitchenAid (or hand mixer) a little pep talk, whip all of your batter ingredients up well.  Make sure to scrape down the sides with this recipe; chunks of cream cheese are lovely on bagels, but not necessarily in cheesecake.  I have learned this the hard way (with my mini Oreo cheesecake bites - recipe for another day, though!). 

Once you have ensured that your batter is well mixed, now comes the fun part;  You're going to need a water bath .... I know, I know.  Who wants to have all that mess in the kitchen?  Who wants to fiddle around with that many dishes?  I get it.  I really do - if anyone wants things easy, it's this girl.  I use a disposable tray, lined with a regular sized kitchen towel (prevents "scooch-age" of the ramekins once you put the water in) for my bath. 

Now, you're going to take 6-8 small ramekins (depending on the sizes - we don't have to get too picky here) and spray them conservatively with a little oil spray.  Then spoon about a half inch of your caramel sauce into the bottoms (while it's still warm to prevent goopy'ness).  Follow that directly with your cheesecake batter (about 3/4 of the way full in your dishes). 

Line up your little dishes of cheesy, caramel-y deliciousness like soldiers into your disposable tray and pour enough water into the tray to come half way up the sides.  Place this CAREFULLY into the oven at 350 degrees.  I'm not going to give you a set time here because these little morsels will need a little babysitting.  You're going to want to peek at them (through the window in the oven!) about every 10 minutes to make sure that there's enough water in the tray to keep everything steamy <insert trendy go-go dancing music>.

Once they are firm to the touch on the top (fiiiiiine, usually around 30-35 minutes in the oven), remove them - CAREFULLY - from their steam bath and allow a 5 or so minute cool down.  This is the hardest part for me - because at this point, your kitchen will be like a caramel and sweetened milk scented sauna.  INTOXICATING for this SkinnyBitch!!  After your 5 minute pace around the kitchen, you can feel free to dig in. 

WHOA WAIT!!  Want to really knock your socks off??  Present it in "fancy flan fashion"!!  To do this, take one of your tender creations and run a small paring knife around the edge of the dish.  Take your plate (or intended serving device) and invert it over the ramekin.  Now, take a deep breath and FLIP!  You should feel a pleasant "plop" onto the plate from the ramekin - this is how you'll know you are seconds away from a showstopping presentation. 

You now have a cheesecake, with lovely, runny caramel sauce surrounding it like a shallow sugary jacuzzi.  SkinnyBitch = HappyBitch

This dessert, and it's corresponding post has indeed done the job of "culinary therapy".  My kitchen is indeed my haven.  Now head into yours!!  Give yourself a little me-time with your oven - you'll be glad you did!

Until then..

XOXO