CHOCOFLANS

                                                               
Enough butter to coat 12 ramekins
1 c. Cajeta (recipe follows or store bought if you can find it)
1 stick butter
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
¾ c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
Pinch of salt
¾ c. buttermilk
1 – 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 – 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand)
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. pecans, toasted and chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter the bottom and sides of reach ramekin.  Pour the cajeta into the ramekins, distributing evenly between all 12.

To make the cake batter layer beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy.  Beat in the egg.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  At medium speed, beat in half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk into the butter/sugar mixture.  Beat in the remaining halves.  Be sure and scrape the side of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients mix evenly.

To make the flan layer mix the eggs, vanilla, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk in a blender.

Pour the cake batter into each ramekin on top of the cajeta.  Pour the flan mixture on top of the cake batter.  Put all of the ramekins into a large pan or baking dish.  Pour hot water into the dish until it is about 1” deep to make a water bath.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and seal.  Put the dish in the oven.  Bake for about 50-55 minutes, or until the surface of each cake feels solid and a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from the oven – be careful not to spill the hot water on yourself or get burned from the steam as you open the aluminum foil.

Let the chocoflans cool, cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours before eating.  (They can store in the frig up to 5 days.)  To serve, run the tip of a knife around the ramekin and invert it onto a plate.  Drizzle the chocoflan with extra cajeta and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

CAJETA:

2 t. cornstarch
1/2 t. baking soda
4 c. whole milk
4 c. goat's milk
2 c. sugar
1 3-4" stick Mexican cinnamon stick

Dissolve the cornstarch and baking soda in 2 c. of the whole milk and set aside.  In a heavy, 4-quart nonreactive saucepan combine the remaining whole milk with the goat's milk and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and whisk in the reserved cornstartch-soda mixture, being careful because it will foam up.  Whisk in the sugar; add the cinnamon and return it to medim-high heat.  Cook for about 1 hour, stirring often, or until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Remove from heat and set aside at room temperature to cool completely.  Refrigerate in a covered jar.  It keeps up to two months in the refrigerator.