Maple Creme Flan With Maple-glazed Pears

Total Time: 4 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 7 large egg yolks
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 ripe bartlett pears, unpeeled, quartered, cored
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup creme fraiche or 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 for flan: simmer maple syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 7 minutes.
• 2 stir in cream; return to simmer.
• 3 whisk egg yolks in large bowl to blend.
• 4 gradually whisk in hot cream mixture.
• 5 whisk in salt.
• 6 strain custard into another large bowl.
• 7 cover and chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• 8 preheat oven to 300°f.
• 9 stir in sugar, 1/4 cup water, and light corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolved.
• 10 increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 6 minutes.
• 11 pour syrup into 9x5x3-inch nonstick metal loaf pan, tilting pan carefully to coat sides.
• 12 let stand 10 minutes.
• 13 pour custard into pan with syrup.
• 14 place loaf pan in large roasting pan.
• 15 add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of loaf pan.
• 16 cover roasting pan with foil.
• 17 pierce foil all over with fork.
• 18 bake flan 1 hour 45 minutes.
• 19 increase oven temperature to 325°f.
• 20 uncover and bake until flan is set around edges but center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour longer.
• 21 remove flan from water.
• 22 transfer to rack; cool to room temperature.
• 23 cover and refrigerate overnight.
• 24 for pears: preheat oven to 375°f.
• 25 melt butter in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
• 26 arrange pears, 1 cut side down, in skillet.
• 27 cook until brown, about 4 minutes.
• 28 turn onto second cut side and cook until brown, about 4 minutes longer.
• 29 stir in maple syrup; bring to boil.
• 30 place in oven and bake until pears are tender, about 25 minutes.
• 31 using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate.
• 32 whisk creme fraiche and salt into sauce in skillet.
• 33 return pears to skillet and toss to coat.
• 34 run sharp knife around edge of flan to loosen.
• 35 invert flan onto platter.
• 36 surround with pears and sauce.