Leche Flan

Description:
This is one of my favorite desserts, although very hard to make and uber time-consuming as well.

Mas gusto ko tong kainin kesa gawin!
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Estimated cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 can (390g) evaporated milk
1 can (390g) condensed milk
10 egg yolks
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence (I haven’t tried using banana extract but some say that it’s okay to use. My mom, on the other hand, uses calamansi in preparing leche flan.)
For the caramel:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
Directions:
In a saucepan, mix the sugar and water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelizes.
Pour the caramelized sugar into aluminum molds – you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the molds.
Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender. Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum molds. Fill the molds to about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick. Cover molds individually with aluminum foil. Steam for about 20 minutes OR Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the molds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking.
Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.
To serve: Run a thin knife around the edges of the mold to loosen the Leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the mold and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.
Tip: As with baking, you can tell when the Leche Flan is cooked by inserting a knife. If it comes out clean, it is cooked.