article & photos by lovely hitchcock

Growing up in the Philippines, where 80% of the population is Roman Catholic, you'd better believe that Easter is a highly celebrated holiday. As young children, we would get up before the crack of dawn to watch all of the amazing religious rituals, ceremonies, and events. Over the years, I have accumulated some wonderful Easter recipes which I truly enjoy; Easter Egg Flan has grown into one of my favorites. 

Egg Filling Ingredients: 

• 10 large eggs 
• 1 can condensed milk 
• 1 can evaporated milk 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 

Begin by removing the top from each egg by using an egg cracker topper. Lean on my experience and get that egg cracker topper, which is so much easier than a knife. Once the egg tops have been removed, separate the yolks from the whites, making sure to remove the membrane inside the egg. Set aside 4 egg whites. Wash the shells, inside and out, and put them aside to dry. Gently mix the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Gradually add the egg yolks into the milk mixture, mixing it thoroughly but gently; we don’t want air bubbles to form. Fill each eggshell with egg yolk, milk, and vanilla mixture, leaving half an inch on the top. Then wrap each eggshell with tin foil so it will stand upright. Place them into an oven-safe Pyrex baking dish and fill the dish with hot water up to about the eggshells' mid-point—Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 40 minutes. Cover the egg-flan with tin foil for the last 15 minutes. 

Meringue Topping Ingredients: 

• 4 large egg whites 
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar 
• ¼ Cup sugar 

Allow the egg whites to warm to room temperature; this allows the meringue to be very fluffy. Whip the egg whites until smooth. Add cream of tartar and sugar (1 Tablespoon at a time), beating each new addition until well incorporated. This will help the egg whites hold their form. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Scrape the meringue into a piping bag. After your flan-filled eggshells have cooled down, pipe the meringue onto each egg flan and torch it for a toasted look. Frankly, this is my favorite part, and I always look forward to torching my meringue. If you don’t have a torch, you can also broil them until you reach the desired toasty-look. Feel free to add other personal touches such as decorative egg holders or use brown eggs. 

ENJOY AND HAVE A HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!

Originally printed in the April 2021 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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