What is Flan?

Flan is a European and Latin dessert made up of a caramel topping and custard base that's made with milk, eggs and sweetener (which may already be included in the milk). It is usually baked in a water bath for the best texture, and after baking it is chilled then later inverted onto a platter.

This version is Flan de Queso - Cream Cheese Flan. It is easily my favorite! Traditional Spanish flan is so tasty but then when you add some rich and tangy cream cheese it becomes just that much better.

Here I've included step by step photos. This is especially helpful with the caramel step, be careful that you don't burn it. And that you work carefully and quickly.

Other than that this homemade flan is a breeze to make! And who doesn't love a recipe that only requires 6 ingredients?

What does it taste like?

Flan has a rich, toasted sugar caramel flavor from the topping and the base tastes very milky, perfectly sweet and lightly eggy. It is similar to creme brulee or panna cotta in taste, but texturally the three are quite different.

Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Tres Leches Cake has got to be one of the world's best kinds of cake! Maybe I'm just biased because I'm a huge fan of sweetened condensed milk and cream, and you get both in this cake.I love to serve it in the summer since it's a chilled and amazingly refreshing cake, but of course people will crave it year round!

It's a perfectly sweet and decadent and just amazingly satisfying. Plus this version has butter!

If you search for tres leches recipes on the web, you'll find about half contain one stick of butter the other half container no butter. Zero. Zilch. Nada. That's just offensive. I'm totally kidding, but when there's a choice I say butter all the way!

Tres Leches Video

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Butter makes everything better. It adds a wonderful richness and flavor.

This is an authentic Mexican cake that's perfect for birthdays, parties and holidays and it's just as good as what you'll get at your favorite Mexican restaurants!

Another thing you'll love about making tres leches cake at home is that it's a lot cheaper. Why pay $8 dollars a slice when you can make a full cake at home for about the same price?

Each bite truly just melts in your mouth. Just be sure to finish it with fluffy whipped cream for an over-the-top, incredibly enticing dessert!

The Best Key Lime Pie Recipe!

Key lime pie is a great dessert year round but doesn't something about it just scream spring and summer?

It's so vibrant and refreshing and I love that is an easy to make pie that doesn't require a whole lot of extra effort.

The simple filling comes together in no time and its so nice that it uses a graham cracker crust so you don't have to wait for dough to chill and it doesn't make the big floury mess all over the counter (and the floor, and your clothes if you're a messy baker like me).

Plus, it's a flavor pairing that's just meant to be the way the honey graham cracker flavor blends with the creamy lime flavor is the perfect match.

The great thing about this pie is that it fancy enough for the holidays but it's easy enough for an after dinner weekend treat. Any of the 365 days of the year are the perfect day to make this decadently luscious pie!

Watch the Key Lime Pie Video!

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Magic Cookie Bars with so Many Layers of Decadence!

These 6 layer bars (or as some refer to as 7 Layer Bars) are a dream come true! There's just so much decadence in this one simple dessert and people of all ages always love them.

You'll love there's nothing complicated here and they don't take too long to make.

If you are new to baking this is a great place to start. All you really have to do is spread the ingredients into layers in a baking dish and bake to melted gooey perfection.

Just be warned these things are dangerously addictive! As in you may have this great plan to eat a tiny square and gift the rest, not gonna happen. It will be more like the other way around!

The Easiest Caramel Recipe Ever!

Oh the things you can make in the microwave! Honestly though, I don't know if it gets much better than this one, caramel made in the microwave. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law and it is one of my favorite recipes ever!

This is caramel made easy and they taste completely perfect. She's used this recipe for about 30 years and she said everyone she gives the recipe to absolutely loves it and I can see why.

She also said it's so easy that her kids always used to make it when they were younger (adult supervision required here though people, this bowl gets HOT!). And now my kids love to help me make it, and we've been using the recipe for 4 years.

I've added a few minor changes to the recipe, like adding some vanilla and adding Maldon sea salt, add them if you've got them otherwise feel free to leave them out.

Try a batch this weekend, you'll be amazed!

Post originally shared Apr. 2014.

The Easiest Fudge Recipe Ever!

If candy making isn't your thing then this is most definitely the recipe for you, anybody can make this simple fudge!

It can be made on the stovetop or in the microwave. I've tried both several times and my personal preference is the actually the microwave because there's less stirring and attending to it and it's faster. But either method will work great based on what you prefer.

Once you try it it's a recipe you'll have on repeat ever year when the holidays roll around! Give it as gifts but just be sure to save a small stash for yourself.

A Unique Lemonade Recipe

This Brazilian Limeade is such a tasty twist on the classic lemonade! We've all tried the basic take on lemonade with water, lemon or lime juice, and sugar (or another sweetener) but have you ever added sweetened condensed milk to the mix?? It works wonders, I love this drink!

Brazilian Limeade My Way

I've tried Brazilian limeade so many different ways over the years. Most commonly with the Brazilian limeade recipes you'll find (in the U.S. anyway), there are whole limes added to the blender. Talk about BITTER!

That white pith is chock full of bitter flavor so of course it makes sense if you blend that up into it (even though it's drained off) that it will ruin it.

So, years ago, after I tried the whole limes, I moved onto lime zest (and blend that with the mixture then drain it off afterward) and then I realized the lime zest still added a hint of bitter and my kids didn't like it so I now make it with just the lime juice and it's perfect!

Key Lime Pie Made Cupcake Size

Where have these little cups of limey deliciousness been all my life? They are perfectly ice cold and so refreshing on a hot sunny day.

You'll love the fact that they are no-bake because during those 100 degree summer days we just don't want to heat the house up with a hot oven.

The other great thing about these is that they are a dessert that people of all ages will love. And these little cupcake size pies just look that much fancier than a whole pie does right?

How to Make Mini Key Lime Pies

• Line cupcake pan with silicone liners
• Mix graham cracker crumbs with butter and honey.
• In a bowl whip heavy cream to soft peaks, add 1sugar and whip to stiff peaks.
• Separately whip cream cheese with 1 Tbsp sugar until fluffy. Mix in condensed milk, lime zest and lime juice. Fold in whipped cream mixture.
• Divide mixture among silicone liners, filling each within about 1/4-inch of the top.
• Sprinkle graham cracker mixture over filled cups so you have an even layer over each.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 3 - 4 hours.
• Remove from liners then top with sweetened whipped cream mixture and garnish.

Tip for These Pies

One thing I highly recommend here is silicone cupcake/muffin liners. Just the standard size.

I bought some to make these because I've made brownie ice cream cupcakes before and they just stuck and were a total disaster so this time around I didn't want to deal with any sticking. I'm guessing after a few minutes of them sitting out they'll soften up enough you can remove them from paper liners but I just didn't want to risk it.

You can buy the silicone cupcake liners at most craft stores or online (Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Amazon) and they cost about $5 - $10 and I think they are worth it for frozen cupcakes.

More Lime Recipes You'll Love

• Brazlian Limeade
• Rainbow Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
• Cherry Limeade Cupcakes
• Key Lime Cheesecake

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Easy S'mores Dip

I'm slightly obsessed with s'mores, and I crave them all year round.

I hear people say they've never tried a real s'more. You know, the kind where you go out into the wide open mountainous wilderness, light a blazing campfire under a gentle breezy, starlit sky and then you wait for the mesmerizing flames to die down to hot coals.

That's when you slowly rotate and toast a perfectly soft vanilla marshmallow to golden brown perfection and sandwich it between two crunchy honey grahams along with a square of milk chocolate.

And the moment you've been waiting for, you get to either shove it all in your face or slowly savor each and every bite...and then proceed to make another. I never stop until my stomach starts to hurt with those things! S'mores probs, people, s'mores probs.

So, middle of winter stuck in the house, what's a woman to do? I either toast marshmallows over my stovetop or find recipes like these that taste just like a s'more but don't require a campfire to get all those flavors.

This is going to be one of my go to dip recipes. It may be challenging to get it to look pretty but this time around I don't care about appearance.

It's all about the melty chocolate and that gooey marshmallow goodness! And did I mention this s'mores dip only requires three ingredients and a few minutes prep? Oh yes, three decadent ingredients all melted and marbled together!

Just a word of advice, don't make this if you are home alone. You'll quickly lose track of how much you ate, and before you know it half the bowl might be gone. It is just that good!

S'mores Dip Ingredients

For this simple s'mores recipe, you'll need:

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Marshmallow creme

How to Make S'mores Dip

• In a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl, add chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk.
• Microwave for 30-second intervals until melted and smooth.
• Pour into wide serving bowl or pie plate, then dollop with marshmallow creme.
• Microwave again just until the creme is melted, then use the tip of a knife to swirl creme into chocolate mixture.

Can I Make This S'mores Dip Ahead of Time?

If you want to bring this dip to a potluck or party, I'd wait until you arrive to make it. This dip is best served warm, and it tends to harden over time.

What Should I Serve with This Dip?

Serve this s'mores dip with fresh strawberries and graham crackers. You could also serve it with pretzels, apple slices, Nilla wafers, or any other fruit you'd like.

Tips for the Best S'mores Dip

• For a slightly less sweet dip, use bittersweet chocolate chips.
• Regular marshmallows can't be substituted for the marshmallow creme. If you can't find marshmallow creme at the store, you can easily make it yourself.
• Double check that you're purchasing sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. They're two completely different products!

More S'mores Desserts You'll Love:

• S'mores Cupcakes
• S'mores Bars
• S'mores Pie
• S'mores Mousse
• Chocolate Chip Cookie S'mores

More Homemade Dips to Try:

• Chocolate Fruit Dip
• Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Chips
• Peanut Butter Fruit Dip
• Lemon Cream Fruit Dip

They are a longer lasting fruit so they aren't like berries where you have to use them within a few days or they go bad (you know, those tart, mushy, lifeless berries you are so sad to see when you open your refrigerator and realized you forgot to use them).

Lemons are much more forgiving. I store in them in my fridge for a few weeks and they still taste fresh. And what is one of the first things you think to make when life hands you lemons?

Lemon cream pie of course. This time around it's in a more modern bar form that everyone is going to find hard to resist. Forget a round pie, bars are the new "it" thing.