Galician chestnut caramel flans

Heat the conventional oven to 180 °C. Place 8 metal flan moulds of 200 ml in a deep dish. Cook white sugar and 30 ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes until light amber, without stirring with a spoon. Gently swirl if needed. Carefully divide between moulds and let harden for about 5 minutes.

Blend cooked chestnuts and milk until smooth. Crack the eggs and add them with the brown sugar, blend briefly, then stir in cream and vanilla without frothing. Divide without exceeding 175 ml per mould. Heat the remaining 1500 ml water for about 5 minutes and pour into the dish to two-thirds of the flans' height, keeping water out of the custard. Bake for 15 minutes at 180 °C, then 30 minutes at 160 °C until set at the edges with a slight central wobble. Extend if needed without boiling the bath.

Use oven gloves to remove moulds from the bath and cool for about 60 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 240 minutes. Run a small knife around the edges and gently turn onto shallow bowls. Discard the bath water. It is not part of the flan.