Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Roberto Picon

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15. This special observance celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of people in America whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. First observed in 1968 and expanded in 1988, the two-month 30-day heritage month has many important dates. September 15 is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates their Independence Day on September 16 and Chile celebrates independence September 18. Dia de la Raza, an important holiday celebrated by many Latin American and Spanish-speaking countries, is October 12.

This year, DCAA is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing some of the diverse cuisines that hold stories, memories, and satiates appetites throughout the month.

Today, Roberto is sharing his favorite dish with us from his childhood. After a career shift during his time with the U.S. Navy, Roberto got his Master's in Accounting and Finance and became a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Virginia. Since then he's been at DCAA for 18 years and is sharing a Puerto Rican dessert to help us celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Puerto Rican Flan is a very important to dish to me, not only is it my favorite, but it also helps me feel closer to my family and my childhood. My grandmother used to make Puerto Rican Flan and I always loved it as a kid. I continue to enjoy sharing this dish with my family because it's not just easy to make, but everyone loves dessert. I taught myself how to make this dish and it's always a great success as special occasions or just simply sharing with friends. The ingredients are easily found in any grocery store which also adds to the convenience of the recipe. To make the custard with the traditional consistency, the key is to use a "baño Maria," or "water bath" in English, when preparing the dish.

Ingredients:

• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 14 oz water (fill the same condensed-milk can)
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 jiggers fruit-flavored liqueur, like Curaçao or Grand Marnier
• Caramelized Sugar Topping
• 3 Tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Make a baño Maria or water bath: Find a medium-large pan that is wider than your flan mold. Fill the pan with enough water to reach halfway up the side of the flan mold. Place the pan with the water on a middle rack in the oven.
3. With a mixer in a large bowl, lightly beat the condensed milk, water, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and brandy. Set aside.
4. Pour sugar into a nonstick pan over medium-low. In about 5 minutes, the sugar will start to liquify and turn light brown. Watch it carefully: Once the sugar starts caramelizing, it can quickly burn. Gently shift the pan so that every last bit of the sugar melts and turns pale gold.
5. Remove from burner and pour into your flan mold, so that the melted sugar covers an even, thin layer of the bottom surface. Let it cool and harden, about 3 minutes.
6. Gently spread the milk-egg mixture over the hardened caramelized sugar.
7. Lower the flan mold into the hot water in the water bath. The water should not reach higher than halfway up the side of the flan mold (so that it doesn't splash into the custard).
8. Bake for about one hour and 15 minutes. Starting at 1 hour, check for doneness: insert a knife or a toothpick into center: if it emerges clean, it's done. The flan should look springy-firm and custardy-plump.
9. Let the flan cool for about an hour. Cover and place in refrigerator to chill.
10. Half an hour before serving, take the flan out of the fridge. Circle a knife around the mold interior to loosen the flan edge. Gently flip onto a pretty serving plate. The caramelized sugar will slowly trickle over the flan sides onto the plate.
11. Serve cool or at room temperature. And "get ready for your family or dinner guests to ask for the recipe," says Mom.