Chocolate Custard Flan with Flavour Pearls

Chocolate Custard Flan with Flavour Pearls. Two of my favourite sweet treats combined into one delectable dessert 🥰 
Velvety smooth Chocolate Custard that’s not too rich but just right, especially with a big spoonful of Double Cream and Flavour Pearls. We served ours with Tangerine Flavour Pearls but I’d also love to eat this dessert with some Salted Caramel or Passionfruit or Strawberry Flavour Pearls. Our Raspberry or Strawberry Flavour Finisher would add some nice texture too.

What you’ll need – serves 10-12 slices

• 3 Egg Yolks
• 2 Eggs
• 200g Sugar
• 40g Cornflour
• Pinch Salt
• 600ml Milk
• 400ml Thickened Cream
• 200g Dark Chocolate – melts are fine or chop up your favourite couverture

For the base

• Chocolate Ripple Biscuits (or GF equivalent)
• Butter – 1/4 c, melt and use enough to just combine

To serve

• Double Cream
• Flavour Pearls of your choice 

To do

Lets line the tin. We used a springform tin as with its removable sides and base it’s the easiest to serve from. I just gave it a quick spray and lined the base and sides with Baking Paper. Pop your oven on to 180c.

Blitz up the Chocolate Ripple Biscuits in the blender or crush in your usual way. Add them into a mixing bowl with enough melted Butter to just hold together when you press it to the edge of the bowl. Put into the lined tin and press down with the bottom of a glass. Refrigerate while you prepare the Custard.

Next

Combine the Cream and Milk in a largish saucepan and gently heat until almost boiling. While that is warming add the Yolks plus Eggs and Sugar into a bowl and whisk until the mixture lightens a bit. Add in the Cornflour and Salt and mix well. Take a ladleful of the hot Milk/Cream mix and whisk it into the Egg mix. Add another and mix well. Pour the now slightly warmed Egg mix into the remaining hot Milk/Cream in the saucepan, whisking constantly. Pop it back on the stove on a lowish heat. Whisk constantly until the mix thickens. Add the Dark Chocolate off the heat, stirring until it’s completely melted. Hopefully you’ve got this far without any lumps but if you have just push the mixture through a sieve.

Pour the now thick Chocolate Custard into the tin. Level out the top and pop it into the Oven. I checked mine after 20 minutes and short increments from there until it was done. It is ready when the level of the Custard has risen (like a cake) but still wobbly. Try and make a mental note of how high the Custard was when you put it in the oven and note the difference. Turn off the Oven and leave the door ajar to allow it to cool for a good half hour or so before removing. Cool further on the bench before refrigerating overnight. Definitely cool it overnight to avoid a messy but delicious disaster!

To serve

Remove the sides of the springform tin of your Custard Flan and using a spatula or lifter carefully slide it under the base and slip it onto a serving plate. You could certainly give it a dust of Icing Sugar or Cocoa if you felt it needed it before putting it on the table to serve. I simply sliced as required, adding a generous spoonful of Double cream to the top of the slice then a spoonful of Flavour Pearls. I adore our Tangerine Flavour Pearls with this dish. Such a gorgeous colour and delish citrus contrast to the Chocolate. We have quite a few flavours that would be equally as delish, you’ll have to browse the website and see which flavour grabs your fancy. Enjoy.

Until next time

From the Peninsula Larder Team

“Dessert is like a feel-good song, and the best ones make you dance.”

— Chef Edward Lee