Post-Holiday Flan Soothes Spirits

I’ve heard that this is a time (post-holiday) when many people go into gloom. The holidays were just too much for them, one way (good, I presume) or another (must be bad). Anyway, however their holiday spirit took shape, now this portion of the population is dispirited--in more ways than one.

Not me. The early days of a new year are my favorites. It’s like coming home. Everything back to normal. Soothing. A good time to clean the house, have a long lunch with a friend, cook a plain meal. Or bake a custard.

Here’s a custard to bake in a ring mold. The point of Ring of Orange Flan is not just its shape, which is pretty good, but how much faster a ring-shaped flan cooks than a solid mass--that is, in about 30 minutes.

Better yet, it takes only about 15 minutes of a post-holiday cook’s time to put this flan together before baking. The way I figure it, that leaves enough time for a long lunch (cleaning the house is not a good idea).

RING OF ORANGE FLAN

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

6 to 8 egg yolks

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

Grated zest of 1 orange

2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Heat 3/4 cup sugar in heavy skillet over medium heat until melted and golden. Pour into 4- to 5-cup ring mold and tip carefully to coat bottom evenly. Set aside.

Combine eggs, yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Whisk to blend thoroughly. Stir in evaporated milk, orange zest and orange liqueur. Pour into prepared mold.

Place mold in large pan and pour in water to come half way up ring mold. Bake at 325 degrees 35 to 40 minutes or until custard is almost set in center.

Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. To serve, carefully run thin knife around edges and invert onto serving plate. Let stand until flan releases from mold and sugar syrup drains onto plate. Makes 8 to 10 servings.