Cinnamon lemon flan

Calling flan a caramel custard is to do it an injustice. No mere pudding, this traditional Mexican dessert, from Spanish origins, is the crème de la crème of sweets. Of course, not surprisingly, there are a hundred and one variations on the basic recipe. But sometimes the original is so much more than one can expect, to alter it is to approach cooking blasphemy.

Coating

1. You can start with the 'frosting' first. Spread a 1/2 cup of sugar on the bottom of a saucepan and warm to medium-low heat. Don't need to stir, but you can give the pan a little shake to prevent sticking.
2. Once the sugar is golden brown remove from heat and pour into a dozen warmed custard cups. You want the sugar to remain like syrup and not crystallize.

Flan Body

4. In a saucepan, combine milk, lemon zest (the outer peel of the fruit) and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a vigorous boil, then lower the heat and simmer for ten minutes. Remove and let stand.
5. In a bowl, mix the whole eggs and egg yolks together with a cup of sugar.
6. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl through a fine sieve. Whisk until the result is well blended.
7. Pour the result into the coated custard cups.
8. Arrange the cups into a baking pan, then pour in an inch of water, being careful not to splash any into the custard cups.
9. Then bake at 300° F (150° C) until the flan is set, for about an hour or an hour and a half.
10. Remove the pan from the oven carefully, avoiding dumping the boiling water onto the floor or knocking over the custard cups.
11. Remove the cups and let them cool at room temperature then chill.