vs.
Yesterday, I did a post on the Williams Sonoma Desserts Cookbook and I mentioned my Dad’s favorite dessert the caramelized pumpkin flan. I thought it might be nice to give you a definition of what a flan is and so I rely on one of my favorite websites for an answer. Epicurious defines flan, as the following:
“flan
[FLAHN]
1. A round pastry tart that can have a sweet filling (such as custard or fruit) or savory filling (vegetable, meat or savory custard). The pastry is usually formed and baked in a special flan ring, a bottomless metal ring with straight (about 1 1/2-inch-high) sides. The flan ring is set on a baking sheet before the dough is baked. 2. A famous Spanish baked custard coated with caramel. See also creme caramel.
based on THE FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst”
For those of you wondering what the creme caramel definition is, here is it, also from Epicurious:
“crème caramel
[krehm kehr-ah-MEHL, krem KAR-uh-mehl]
Also known in France as crème renversée , crème caramel is a custard that has been baked in a caramel-coated mold. When the chilled custard is turned out onto a serving plate it is automatically glazed and sauced with the caramel in the mold. In Italy it’s known as crema caramella, and in Spain as flan.”