Carabao’s Milk Flan a la Marketman

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Sorry fans of condensada flan, leche flan made with milk/cream or carabao’s milk just beats condensada flan by a mile, in my personal opinion. :) One of our company lawyers, who is based in Bohol, was so intrigued by the current posts on leche flan, that he sent me a text the other day to say he had found a source for carabao’s milk. If I was agreeable, he would bring several liters of carabao’s milk and we could experiment with leche flan at the Cebu office. Of course I said YES! He arrived with 4 liters of freshly gathered carabao’s milk (but pasteurized to kill off cooties), and two liters of chocolate flavored carabao’s milk from the Philippine Carabao Center’s outpost in Bohol, some 100+ kilometers from Tagbilaran. The chocolate flavored milk disappeared in less than an hour as the office crew thought it was utterly fantastic.

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I was ready with eggs, sugar and llaneras and within an hour mixed up a batch of leche flan. I used 15 egg yolks and 1 whole egg, 1 and 3/4 cup of white sugar and mixed this until combined. I added 3 cups of carabao’s milk and stirred until well mixed. I let this sit for about 30 minutes while I prepared the caramel for the llaneras. This recipe made enough for 4 llaneras. We couldn’t find organic eggs in Cebu on short notice so these were supermarket eggs, graded LARGE. I strained the mixture into the llaneras, and since we have no oven at the office, we covered these with foil and steamed them on the stove.

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Following reader suggestions in earlier leche flan posts, I didn’t really let the water boil, more like just letting off steam but no active boil. After about 35-45 minutes, we took the flans out and they looked utterly brilliant. Lighter than other flans but smooth as a baby’s butt. We couldn’t wait for them to spend a few hours in the fridge so we turned one over just an hour after cooking, and while much of the caramel stayed in the pan, enough came out with the flan. THIS WAS SUPERB. DEFINITELY one of the BEST flans I have ever made. A good 9.7 out of 10.0 on the marketman point scale. Soft, creamy but not too rich, flavorful and not overly sweet. VERY, VERY GOOD FLAN.

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Every single person in the office, most of whom were used to condensed milk flans were pleasantly shocked by this version. It was so good that 7 people finished four newly cooked flans, and I had just two small spoonfulls. We put another three flans in the fridge and after an overnight rest, I turned them over onto the platter up top. The funky shearing on the surface is due to the reflected branches and leaves above that were swaying in the wind.

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The chilled version had firmed up just a bit and the overall impact was smoother and more luxurious. Yum. And this is with a steamer not a ban marie that I suspect would yield an ever better final product. And I didn’t have lemon peel or dayap or vanilla to add flavor either. Didn’t even use organic eggs. If you plan to make this version but can’t get carabao’s milk, replace the three cups of milk with half whole milk and half heavy cream. I would pit this version of leche flan against a condensada flan any day… And as for making this imported dessert really pinoy, how much better could it be than with the use of carabao’s milk, which is definitely a local ingredient and wonderful twist to the well-known dessert?

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89 Responses

  1. Worth every penny you put in your self-preservation efforts to bring the leche flan back to its root. I say you did a good job on your one-man band kitchen stage proving carabao milk is better in leche flan. Now I give you a new title Leche Flan Heritage Foundation CEO no townhall meetings necessary – just promote the use carabao milk in leche plan which in turn our dairy industry will benefit. Your words will spread out there like a wild fire and will convert a lot of households to switch from canned milk to carabao milk for their leche flan. If you use a sheet metal large enough to cover your cooking vessel and put amber on it that is how I remember our leche flan being made. Like the sheetmetal they use in bibingkahang. It mimics bain marie. They are steamed but the llaneras are sitting directly in simmering water not boiling there is a big difference I believe in boiling versus simmering or low fire.

  2. I can just see it now,….Ms. WalangKaparis rushing now to get her hands on carabao’s milk …You know where you can get them? Your resource person there in Bulacan, Marisse is Ms. DADD-F…she has a suki who brings her carabao’s milk like ration!…But I don’t know, Marisse if you would like to make the trip to Cainta!

  3. Sister: according to dairy farm something on Yahoo…carabao’s milk has TWICE the amount of M.F. than cow’s milk. Cow’s milk has 3 to 4% M.F. and carabao’s milk has 7 to 8% M.F. It also has more milk solids 16. something compared to cow’s milk having 13 something % . So cow’s milk has more water than carabao’s milk.

    Kaya it is MALINAMNAM!!!!

    Heto na sila DADD-F and Marisse making pakyaw the carabao’s milk in Cainta for this week-end!!!!

  4. I don’t need any convincing MM…I am a huge fan of the milk/cream version from the very beginning…Here is what I use in place of carabao’s milk here in B.C….I could very well go all the way to the Island for it but not feasible at this time. So next best thing, mga Mrs. , is the ORGANIC MILK AVALON brand! I am saying this because I know my milk. believe me when I say I have tried ALL the brands out there. Be sure to buy the STANDARD MILK …it has cream floating on top of the glass bottle. It tastes closely similar to carabao’s milk….really, really close! This is what I use for TIBOK TIBOK!!!

  5. What yummy photos. Will try your recipe as there is a Phil Carabao Center branch on our university campus here in Baybay, Leyte. Thanks very much for the recipe.

  6. Hi MM, carabao’s milk is really good for flan. If you happen to be at the Philippine Carabao Center (one in Los Banos), try their milk-o-jel. It’s a flan/gelatin cold dessert that’s really really creamy. I think the creaminess would like your leche flan.

  7. Great and timely post MM, thanks! I got on to your website with the intention to get your Round1 flan recipe because i needed to figure out how much milk i would need; to my delight, a carabao flan post is up! :) I’ll be in Megamall as soon as it opens to buy the milk. (There’s a “Gatas ng Kalabaw” kiosk store at the LG floor of Building B). I think that would be the freshest and safest (pasteurized!) carabao’s milk i can come close to.

  8. Thanks for the tip on what milk to use best for MM’s leche flan here in BC, Betty Q. I will surely try this recipe for my family…thank you MM.

  9. Yehey!!!! More sources for carabao milk!!! While not in Cebu..Bohol and Leyte will have to do for now.

  10. Moni, how much carabao milk does the (baybay) university produce daily? Do they have any excess? Would love to get some regularly for my cheesemaking project

  11. i’d like to try preparing this version. especially that thse flans were just steamed (we don’t have an oven). thanks for providing the substitute ingredients. :)

  12. Now I know I am not the odd person. Since based in Isabela, I can’t understand how they like their leche flans with canned milk. Same with fruit salads, canned milk and condensed ones :( They don’t appreciate my leche flans. They say it has no body and soft. That’s the point :) Its ok, I can eat two llaneras by myself.

  13. Onie: You might want to get more than 2 litres of Avalon standard milk…1 for the leche flan and the other litre for your kids. It is really good! Also, you need to buy the whipping cream too. it only comes in 1/2 litre bottles. Oh, buy the chocolate milk for your boys, too….haaaay, masarap!!! The milk costs a bit more BUT REALLY WORTH IT!!! Once you try this milk, you will not go back to the regular ones.

  14. sarap! i’ll have to wait to make kalabaw milk leche flan when i go home. full cream cow’s milk is what i do normally use here, although i will try goat’s milk soon to see if it makes a difference. i saw an ad offerring free delivery fresh goat milk and will try it since i’ve read up that goat is a lot richer than cow’s milk.

  15. Haha. “Cooties”. Haven’t heard that word in such a long time. And haven’t had flan in quite a while, either. Will try this at home. Thanks MM!

  16. what’s a good substitute for carabao’s milk, preferably one available in the US? i’m going to try to make leche flan for the very first time.

  17. abbie, use good heavy cream, or do as I do in Manila, mix half whole milk with half pure/heavy cream with a fat content of 40+%… average fat content of milk/cream at 20%.

  18. Looks yummy! Leche flan is one of my favorite desserts and my lola always used carabao’s milk. I will definitely try this recipe.

  19. oh, my! these look so good. i will try these. i have never heard or taste leche flan not made with condensed and evaporated milk. thanks, MM!

  20. Hi MM. They look wonderful! Just to clarify, FIFTEEN, one-five egg yolks, one whole egg and 3 cups of carabao’s milk? I’m asking since I am trying to scale down the recipe for one llanera. Thanks!

  21. Dale, yes, that’s right. For one llanera, try 4 egg yolks, one whole egg (with some of the white removed), 1 cup of carabao’s milk and 1/2 cup sugar or slightly less than that.

  22. My goodness, I love leche flan, especially the chilled ones na galing ref. It is, in my opinion, better than ice cream! Really Yum.

  23. Hi MM. Do you think I can use half & half as well? Kind of a shortcut for half heavy cream and half whole milk.

  24. Hi MM,
    I’ve been a long time reader of your blog and I could not resist commenting this time. I think the dangers of raw milk (unpasteurized milk) have been greatly exaggerated. You might find this site of interest https://www.realmilk.com. Pasteurization/heating inevitably leads to degradation of milk’s nutritional quality.

    Maybe you could try it with fresh raw carabao’s milk. The ingredients would be cooked anyway in the process. Anyway, great post. Are you planning to make a leche flan version with dayap?

  25. oh you’re wicked MM! :-) I’ve been telling myself to start dieting and then I see this ongoing Leche Flan saga… there goes down the drain my resolve. Leche Flan is one of my all time favorite desserts!

  26. May I veer away from the Leche Flan for a moment to share a true to life CHARMING story… My 7 year old tutee, with a serious look on his face, announces this fact: “Teacher, do you know that chocolate milk comes from brown cows?” Of course, I had to explain why it is not possible. Now, wouldn’t it be just AMUSING if I could have him taste chocolate flavored milk from a CARABAO??? Unless, by some freak chance, someone could show a picture of a BROWN CARABAO!?!

  27. Diwata, carabaos are a dusty grey/black brown. And if they wallow in mud, they will be brownish… and does strawberry milk come from pink cows?!

  28. roelm, I would have used fresh carabao’s milk if I had ready access to it, close to my kitchen (meaning it didn’t travel more than an hour or two on ice). I think the concern is more around the hygiene in extracting the milk and packaging it… but if I knew the cow, crabao, farmer and watched it milked, I would definitely try and cook or bake with the milk… :) raw milk cheeses, after all, from unpasteurized milk, possess brilliant flavor…

  29. Betty, Avalon milk is not available in Seattle :(

    I usually bring home pastries from Goldilocks and siopao from New Town Bakery when I visit BC. I guess next time I’ll be bringing home liters of Avalon milk. . .(Do you know if border patrol/customs allows that? I know they don’t allow any poultry or beef–cooked or otherwise.)

  30. Hi Marketman – I regularly buy and enjoy Carabao milk at the Carabao Research Center at University of Central Mindanao in Bukidnon. It is indeed delicious (udderly delicious!). Very filling too.

  31. Mindanao Bob, it has a nice fat content… that’s what makes it different… SimplePleasure, you can sometimes find carabao’s milk at Salcedo market, but make sure it is pure, not mixed with water or anything else. The Philippine Carabao Center from Nueva Ecija also used to sell in Manila, but I haven’t seen outlets lately. joey, half and half might work (it is 10-12% fat) but whole milk and heavy cream might be better… :)

  32. Artisan Chocolatier, do you watch Cheese Slices on LifeStyle FOOD? Awesome isn’t it? I am considering taking up cheese classes here in Australia.

  33. This leche flan series is amazing! Canned milk, fresh milk, now carabao milk. Steamed, baked, fried… when will we see it skewered and grilled… in a soup? the possibilities are endless.

    The leche flan is my all time favorite dessert. Thank you Marketman for doing this for all of us.

  34. Angela: I looked up US Border Food Restricions on the net and couldn’t find any on milk. I do have a friend though who goes to Lynden every week (he has a home as well in Lynden). I will ask him about dairy restrictions if US has any.

    Let me know when you’re coming over to BC and I shall make some XO and chocolate cake for you to take back with you!

  35. Diday, Am not sure if my cable subscription has lifestyle food (or maybe just haven’t seen it). I’m sure you’ll enjoy cheese making.

  36. Super sarap naman yan! Makes me want to break my diet! But my yaya won’t let me make lache flen, hehe. I keep showing her the pictures and relate what’s happening. Congratulations, MM!

  37. Thanks for the response MM! I will certainly give it a try since I used to only do whole egg flans. Joey, if you can get your hands on COFFEE CREAM, instead of half anf half, it’s about 18% fat content, so may be closer…

  38. Betty q – I’ll shall look for Avalon brand here in Toronto, but do you know if I look for it at my regular grocery or I have to go a specialty food store?

    What is Tibok-Tibok by the way? I got curious…

  39. I got too excited reading all these leche flan lol. Where can i find carabao’s milk or cow’s milk in Toronto? Should I use homo instead? =)

  40. DhayL…since it is ORGANIC MILK, it is generally found in the natural food section of most grocery stores. However, you can check HEALTH FOOD STORES as well. Most of tthe Health food stores carry that milk here as well. But if not available, like sometimes I am too lazy to go out and buy them so I just use the heavy cream, preferably 36% M.F. Most heavy cream in grocery stores has less than that. Here only FOREMOST brand carry that cream with 36 % M.F. Dairyland carries it too but only distributed to restaurants…not to the general public…at least I haven’t seen it. So look on the packaging and check the M.F. content of the cream.

    TiBOK TIBOK is the Kapampangan Maja Blanca that is UTTERLY DIVINE, SILKY> and best of all really MALINAMNAM!!! If I were to indulge in a kakanin in a buffet table, I will just stuff my face with this TIBOK TIBOK. I already posted my recipe somewhere in past posts….PLEASE don’t ask me where!!! Marisse, do you know where it is? Oh, I know, Connie C. has it!!!!

  41. off topic, but is carabao’s milk what they used in the old or original selecta ice cream? i remember loving it, plus looking forward to that after taste that sort of leaves a “film of fat” on your palate.

    MM, thanks for all the effort that you put into this.

  42. I already made a batch of the non condensada recipe: 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk (well i used alpine), almost 1/2 cup of sugar and 8 egg yolks and did bain marie in my small oven. My 5 year old daughter who has been used to eating my steamed condensada flans said “This is alot better than before mommy!”. Thanks MM! your leche flan saga has really helped me make the “perfect” flan.

  43. Where do I look to find the % fat content of the cream / milk? Is it the Total Fat information found in the Nutrition label?

  44. Also, is there any difference between the US Heavy Whipping Cream vs Anchor Whipping Cream in tetra pack?

  45. I just tried MM recipe although I can’t find fresh carabao milk here so I settle on pasteurized fresh cow’s milk (2 cups) and a cup bulla heavy cream and a cup of sugar. With a bit of dayap rind soak on milk for 30mins and vanilla essence then cook in the oven bain marie at 325F for 30mins…The best leche plan I have so far !!! My guest and family simply love it. I will try it next time without the heavy cream. I will never go back to evaporated and condensed milk !!!

  46. Bluegirl, I am looking at the carton of cream I have…1 litre: the M.F. % is on the side just above the ingredient list and NOT the one on the Nutrition Facts.

    I am not familiar with the Anchor Whipping Cream in tetra packs. All I can say is ..I know there is Whipped topping in tetra packs…it is not the same as Heavy Cream. The Whipped Topping sometimes under Nutri-fil or other brands contain ingredients that I cannot remember …most of whichending in “…ates”. It has a waxy taste. Most commercial bakeries use it in conjunction with whipping cream for cost effectiveness.

  47. Hey Jun, if you are planning to make more flans using just milk…bear in mind that homogenized milk has only 3 to 4% M.F. and therefore though your flan is still maaaasarap, it will not be as creamy tasting! Indulge a little is what I always say.

  48. Wow..now am really curious to try carabao milk…groan..where on earth do I find that…Will try the fresh milk and cream version first..that looks so delish.
    Was having problems with my internet..would only go into my son’s laptop for three days and I was having withdrawal symptoms from not being able to leisurely read all the comments…wheee…am glad it’s okay na….betty q..I never got the tibok tibok but am really crazy about that too..but that’s so cholesterol filled…it’d be great to get that recipe…connie c…share naman o…

  49. tiboc-tiboc ay mahablanca ng mga kapampangan. gawa sa gatas kalabaw (gatas damulag in kapampangan) and galapong and dayap. mukha siyang malaking malaking bibinkang bilog na puting puti.

    the ones in suzie’s in angeles are made with cornstarch, pero mahusay pa rin. kuhang kuha nila yung proportions ng cornstarch para smooth. kasi pag galapong ang ginamit mo mag-kukumpol kumpol yung gatas if you don’t stir the misture NON-STOP. tasaka dapat tatcho ang gamitin mo hindi ordinary pan. and you have to use wooden or bamboo spoon to stir kasi kung aluminum ang gagamitin mo mag-iitim ang gatas.

    yung masarap na tiboc-tiboc yung kay ‘mang dely fernandez ng mga panlilio ng san fernando. she does it herself. melt in your mouth like a good tiboc-tiboc.

    siya nga pala, tiboc-tiboc comes from tibok ng puso kasi pag shine-shake mo parang tumitibok na puso. romantic di ba? dapat lang. kasi kung kain kayo ng kain ng tiboc-tiboc aatakihin kayo sa puso….

  50. I do like the Suzie’s tiboc-tiboc, marc, especially the dayap flavored one. I know where the name came from but I’ve never heard it described like you have, hahaha. I have eaten it in a very bright yellow from Nepo-mart in Angeles, was it? But Suzie’s was better.

  51. thanks, MM. but now i’m leaning more towards your heavy cream/whole milk combo. gosh, you’ve created a movement! if only carabao’s milk was available here in l.a. *sigh*
    Dale, do you mean coffee creamer? as far as i know it’s non-dairy (some even contain not so healthy partially hydrogenated oils). thanks anyway.

  52. Joey: I think Dale is referring to a one called CREAM-O (one step up frm hmogenized milk and one step down from whipping cream!)…much like half and half. Some dairies refer to that one as half and half and other dairies call it Cream-O.

  53. I had just bought one (1) llanera leche flan from a Pinoy Resto here in Houston. I like it before, pero ngayon I can tell that its really not that good and rather, it has a taste of plain “condensed milk”, para nga siyang straight from the can. And many bubbles. Gosh, I really wish maka-kuha ako ng carabao’s milk sa Quezon when I come home this May.

  54. Philippine Carabao Center…the web lists 13 PCC. In Visayas…Ubay, Bohol…La Carlota City, Negros Occidental…La paz, Ioloilo…Leyte State U. in Baybay, Leyte….Dipolog City, Zamboanga. to name a few ….

  55. # Diwata says:

    May I veer away from the Leche Flan for a moment to share a true to life CHARMING story… My 7 year old tutee, with a serious look on his face, announces this fact: “Teacher, do you know that chocolate milk comes from brown cows?” Of course, I had to explain why it is not possible. Now, wouldn’t it be just AMUSING if I could have him taste chocolate flavored milk from a CARABAO??? Unless, by some freak chance, someone could show a picture of a BROWN CARABAO!?!
    January 29th, 2009

    # Marketman says:

    Diwata, carabaos are a dusty grey/black brown. And if they wallow in mud, they will be brownish… and does strawberry milk come from pink cows?!

    GUESS WHAT MM!!! For a field trip this y ear, we brought our preschoolers to AVELON ZOO in Tiendesitas (a long trip and a real treat for Laguna tikes). AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW??? They house an ALBINO CARABAO and the color is BROWN!!!

  56. hi betty q. thanks for clarifying. i’ve never seen Cream-O in any of the mainstream supermarkets, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, etc. in the Los Angeles area. i must admit i’ve never heard of it. now if i do see it at least i’ll know what it is. btw, check you out-you’re now a special feature here…keep on sharing!

  57. Oh thank goodness the truth prevails! Hahaha! Pardon the drama, but I really do feel strongly about leche flan made with carabao’s milk. It’s been passed on for generations in our family (from Bulacan)and no other milk has equalled carabao’s milk for leche flan.

    On a semi-related note — does anyone know what happened to the owner of Carlo’s Old Recipes which used to be in Libertad St., Mandaluyong? They served leche flan made with carabao’s milk on a bed of pastillas (also made with carabao’s milk) and it was fantastic! Last I heard, the owner was supposed to put up a farm resto with the late Doreen Fernandez and when the latter passed away, the restaurant just disappeared. Any leads would be much appreciated. : )

  58. I tried the recipe and OMG!!! Convert!!! I did a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. Bye-bye diet, at least for this week. Many thanks MM!!

  59. Hi Joey & Betty Q. Joey, Bettie Q is right (Thanks Bettie Q). It’s half way between Half & Half and Whipping Cream. Half & Half is about 10% (at least here in Canada, I’m assuming that it’s the same in the US). The Coffee Cream (what we call it here) is 18%. Incidentally, for those in Canada, THAT’s what makes Tim Hortons double doubles so good… :)

  60. hi ebbamarie… daan ka d2 sa laguna on your way to quezon, or pagbalik mo :), then dala ka gatas ng kalabaw, gawa tayo ng nagkanda-lecheng leche flan, lecheng pastillas at lecheng tibok-tibok, hehehe… kidding aside ebba, the invite is open…

    hi diwata… di kaya na-sunburn na yung albino carabao kaya nag-brown na siya? i remember the brown cow joke, kasi nung panahon pa namin may liquid chocolate na ang pangalan ay brown cow gawa ng hersheys…

  61. btw, what about cow’s milk? is carabaos milk superior to cows milk in making these delicacies/desserts/kakanin?

  62. Chris; In my opinion, carabao’s milk is more MALINAMNAM because it has a higher M.F.%. But i think if one were to drink half and half like a glass of milk, it would be like drinking carabao’s milk!

  63. I’m a big believer in the difference carabao milk can make, especially after tasting the carabao milk creme brulee in Cuillere (owned and run by the Arces, so they know their carabao milk) — you can really feel it coating your tongue! How I would love to taste carabao milk leche flan!

  64. I tried the milk and cream version a couple of weeks ago. Wow! I am never going back to the canned milk version. The milk/cream version seems to cost less too. By the way, have you guys seen the double-yolk eggs sold at SM Supermarkets? I used those. I bought them for P48 for 6 eggs, I think. 6 eggs, 12 yolks.. seems a good deal when making leche flan :)

  65. Hi MM, I did try your latest recipe using the fifteen yolks and one whole egg. I don’t have the carabao milk nor the freshest of eggs so I used half and half and the eggs that were in the fridge. I also used lemon zest as we don’t have the kind of lime you mentioned here. To make it short it really came out YUMMY. Smooth as a baby’s butt and, to me, just perfect. So we had this for our dessert this Valentine supper. My elderly wards just loved it. They said I could make it anytime. I am just so pleased with the outcome. The only thing is I had to guess the baking time. I did it for 1hr and 20 minutes. I waited until the middle did not jiggle, not like they say for a cheesecake.
    Oh, looking forward to see you this Monday, the 16th on Anthony Bourdain’s show. Go MM!!

  66. Hello, MM. I was just reading back on the other comments after I have sent in my comment. Looked like some did what I did.. use half and half. I forgot to mention that I made 2 caramelized pans. So for my second pan I used homo milk and just a dozen yolks, no whole egg. This is my brod’s recipe which I have been using all along. I have not eaten this one yet for comparison. I have never used canned milk with sweetened condensed milk recipe before and never did like the ones that I have tried,those that others made. I guess I am just biased. :>)

  67. Oh, sorry..can the carabao’s milk be frozen? Maybe when I go home to Cebu I can bring back the frozen one. Come to think of it, I wonder if it will pass through Homeland Security.

  68. Hi MM, I remmebered I tried something like this while visiting a friend’s sister in New York and when I asked for the recipe, she said it’s made of fresh milk and cream but she didn’t give me the proportions and it was the best leche flan I’ve ever tried so when I saw your recipe I thought this might be “it”. I made your version of the leche flan over the weekend and I am definitely not going back to the canned milk version. This is “it” – THE LECHE FLAN! I used Trader Joe’s fresh milk and heavy cream since carabao’s milk is not available here in the US (how I wish it was) and since you said this would be better than half and half. I also used lime zest. I think lime is the US version of “dayap” so this is what I always use for leche flan. Here’s my family’s verdict: Throw away the canned milk recipe and keep this one. It came out exactly the way you described it – very smooth, soft, and creamy (mine looked exactly like yours in the photo and I used the oven) and that is exactly the way we want our leche flan. We love it! You nailed it with ensaimada recipe and you did it again with leche flan! You do all the painstaking labor and then share the outcome with us. You are a very generous man. Thank you so much!

  69. hi mm, i plan to do you recipe on saturday night for sunday lunch so that they can properly chill..

    quick question.. when you place the flan in the ref to chill does it still have to be in the lateras? or should you turn them over while warm so the caramel comes out and then chill? if you do chill in lateras, the next day do you have to dip them first in warm water before turning over, so to melt the caramel again? sorry that was several questions pala!:)

  70. maricae, yes, place the leche flans, still undisturbed in the lateras into the fridge to chill. The next day, the flans should just be removed from the fridge and turned upside down carefully onto the serving platter. No need to dip in hot water. They may need a little gentle urging or tapping to get them out. But if the caramel was done right, it tends to liquify a bit overnight in the fridge, so you end up with the nice “sauce”… good luck. :)

  71. great! i’ve also been doing several versions, one with the traditional con/evap, and another with evap/splenda (the splenda was actually was good!) so i’m excited to try your version! maybe i’ll try a skim milk/splenda next just to see what a “no-guilt flan” would taste like.. is there such a thing?? ;)

    btw – i did the caramel first in a sauce pan and then the second one straight in the lateras over the stove, no diff in result – plus the second way had less cleaning and hassle! :)

  72. hello!!! hope you can help me… I need a BROWN CARABAO / COW sana.. anyone who knnow please so inform me, im working in a production tv commercial.. badly needed, i dont have time na kasi.. plese do email me (dulay.reneemay@gmail.com)or text (0916-791-4005)

  73. Making leche flans has always been one big Christmas family tradition for us… and certainly, making leche flan with carabao’s milk ought to be a real rich treat! Thanks for that recipe, MARKETMAN! I’m a big fan of carabao’s milk! And today, I just came from Subic, passing by Suzie’s at MacArthur’s Highway to get half a bilao of Tibok-Tibok for my own kids! Yummy! Thanks MARC MEDINA on the origins of the name Tibok Tibok. To all you carabao’s milk and leche flan fans, you rock! ARU, MANAMAN!

  74. To all leche flan lovers: thanks for the tips. Will try the substitute for gatas damulag – the half and half. Btw, where in Cainta can you buy the gatas? We used to live in Brookside.

    Here’s a tip on how to fast track the cooking of your leche flan – 9 minutes is all it takes. Use your pressure cooker, instead of steaming for 35 minutes or baking it in a bain marie. Here’s how:
    1. Use llaneras the size of which should fit in your pressure cooker.
    2. Cover your llaneras with aluminum foil, keep the cover tight with a rubber band or string.
    3. Put a little water in the pressure cooker just enough to reach half-level of the bottom llanera so the water does not seep inside the bottom llanera when the water boils. Put the other llaneras one on top of the other (patong-patong/salit-salit), 3 or 4 llaneras depending on the size of your pressure cooker.
    4. Cover the pressure cooker, put the valve cover on the vent, turn on your stove, medium or high heat. When the valve cover starts rattling or shaking, set your timer at 9 or 10 minutes, reduce heat to low. When time is up, your leche flan is done!! Let the cooker cool down before opening it. And let your llanera cool down too before turning it over in a plate.

    Of course, leche flan is a heavy cholesterol load, what with the eggs and the gatas damulag, aside from the sugar load – good for diabetics and people with heart problems. But what the heck, we only die once! At least you die happy, hehe…

  75. I’m going to make a bunch of these!!! Fantastic recipe!

    Love,
    Carabao Milk Lover

  76. Oh darn! I was too eager to make one, i replaced the carabao’s milk with full cream milk, the ones in tetra packs… =( hope my flans come out well :((

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