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French Chocolate Flan Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 122 reviews

This French Chocolate Flan features a rich and smooth chocolate custard nestled in a delicate chocolate tart base. The custard is made with dark chocolate, eggs, milk, and cream, baked to a silky texture that is set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Finished with a glossy jam glaze, this elegant dessert combines the creamy decadence of flan with a crisp cocoa tart crust, perfect for chocolate lovers seeking a sophisticated treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chocolate Custard:

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1 cup (200g) white sugar
  • ⅓ cup (42g) cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ cups (600ml) whole milk
  • 1 ¾ cups (400ml) heavy cream
  • 7 oz (200g) dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon jam (for brushing on top, apricot or strawberry recommended)

For the Chocolate Tart Base:

  • 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup (35g) icing sugar
  • ¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick (114g) butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Make the Chocolate Tart Base: In a bowl, combine the flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter in the microwave and add it to the dry ingredients along with the vanilla extract. Mix until a smooth, thick paste forms. Knead the mixture into a dough for 3-4 turns, being careful not to overwork it. Flatten the dough into a large circle slightly bigger than your pastry ring using your hands or a small rolling pin. The edges don’t need to be perfect as they will be trimmed later. Bake for 10 minutes or until the surface looks dry. Immediately press the pastry ring onto the baked pastry to cut out the base, do not remove the ring afterwards.
  2. Make the Chocolate Custard: In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar for about 30 seconds until slightly lightened. Add cornstarch and salt, whisking until smooth. Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling. Gradually temper the egg mixture by adding small amounts of the hot milk mixture while whisking constantly. Once combined, return the mixture to the saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk continuously until it starts to bubble and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and strain if needed to remove lumps. Add chopped dark chocolate and whisk until completely smooth and melted.
  3. Assemble the Chocolate Flan: With the pastry ring still on the cooled tart base, trim any excess dough from the edges and lightly butter the inside of the ring. Pour the chocolate custard into the pastry-lined ring and smooth the top with a palette knife. Bake the flan at 350°F (180°C) for 50-60 minutes until the edges are set but the center jiggles slightly when moved.
  4. Cool and Chill: Allow the flan to cool to room temperature, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to complete the setting process.
  5. Finishing Touches: Carefully remove the flan from the pastry ring; if it sticks, run a sharp knife along the edges or warm the outside slightly to loosen it. For a shiny glaze, melt 1 tablespoon of jam in the microwave for 20 seconds and brush a thin layer over the flan’s surface. Apricot jam is traditional, but strawberry jam is a delicious alternative.

Notes

  • If using a loose-bottomed cake pan instead of a pastry ring, bake the base directly in the pan and adjust trimming as necessary.
  • Be careful not to overwork the tart dough to keep it tender and crumbly.
  • When tempering the eggs with hot milk, add the milk gradually to prevent scrambling.
  • The flan is done when it is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center — it will firm up after chilling.
  • Use dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa content for intense flavor.
  • Brushing the jam glaze adds a professional glossy finish and a subtle sweetness.

Keywords: Chocolate flan, French dessert, chocolate custard, chocolate tart base, baked chocolate flan, elegant dessert

Find it online: https://mixitwitjoe.com/french-chocolate-flan-recipe/