Graham de Leche Recipe – Leche flan is a popular dessert in Filipino cuisine. If you’re unfamiliar with this dish, it’s a caramel pudding or caramel custard made with egg and topped with a layer of clear caramel sauce. While it is delicious, there are different ways you can enjoy this dish. some of these ways include having cubes of it in halo-halo or making it into a top layer for a fluffy sponge cake. Speaking of layers, one of the simpler ways you can enjoy leche flan is by making it into graham de leche.
Graham de leche is a type of layered desserts that features a fun combination of smooth custard, cinnamon graham, and sweetened cream. You can consider this a variation of a popular Filipino dessert called mango float, which is an icebox cake dessert that features layers of ladyfingers or graham crackers, whipped cream, condensed milk, and ripe carabao mangoes. If you’re looking to have a fun dessert for the holidays or want to do something different with graham crackers, this Graham de Leche Recipe is one option to try:
Graham de Leche
Ingredients
- For the Leche Flan
- 9 tablespoons sugar
- 12 yolks from large eggs
- 1 can 14 ounces condensed milk
- 1 can 12 ounces evaporated milk
- For the Graham and Cream Layers
- 2 cups heavy cream very cold
- 1 can 14 ounces condensed milk, chilled
- 18 rectangular graham crackers six 25-gram packs
Instructions
- For the Leche Flan
- In each llanera, place 3 tablespoons of sugar.
- Set llanera over the stove on low heat and using tongs, move repeatedly over the flames until sugar is melted and golden. Continuously tilt and swirl the llanera to ensure even melting and to distribute melting liquid on the bottom of the mold.
- Remove from heat and allow caramel to cool and harden.
- In a mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Stir until smooth and well-blended.
- Using a cheesecloth or fine-mesh sieve, strain the mixture.
- Ladle the mixture into the three prepared llaneras and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Arrange in a single layer in a water bath and bake in a 375 F oven for about 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the flan comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Turn each flan over on a plate and drain the excess caramel.
- For the Whipped Cream
- In a large chilled bowl, combine heavy cream and condensed milk.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed until slightly thickened. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- To Assemble
- Arrange graham crackers in a single layer on the bottom of a rectangle container. If needed, cut the crackers in pieces to fit sides.
- Spoon a few dollops of whipped cream over the graham crackers and using a spatula, spread evenly to cover the crackers.
- Arrange another layer of graham crackers on top of the cream. Spoon more whipped cream on top of the crackers and using a spatula, spread to cover the crackers.
- Gently place the leche flan with caramel side up on top and center of the whipped cream.
- Fill the gaps around the flan with more whipped cream.
- Repeat the process with the two remaining sets of Graham de leche.
- Refrigerate overnight or freeze for about 3 to 5 hours before serving.
Variations for a Graham de Leche Recipe
Like with many Filipino desserts, there are many other options/ingredients you can add to this dish to experiment with flavors. One way you can switch up flavors is by switching up the graham crackers for chocolate-flavored ones. You can also add flavor extract into the whipped to add some depth or include a third layer of ube halaya. There are many ways you can play around with this dessert and sample different flavor combinations.
If you want to try out other Filipino desserts, check out our “Palitaw Recipe” and “Maruya Recipe.” For some similar desserts to test, check out Leche Puto and Ube Leche Cake.
