bell & basket

cooking. baking. home.

Pomegranate Citrus Flan

I love the cold, smooth, creaminess of flan. I love the bitter caramel in contrast to the sweet custard. I love that it’s one of easiest desserts to make–ever.

My one issue with flan made outside of my kitchen (or my mother’s) is that it’s often cloyingly sweet. If the sugar isn’t caramelized enough and it remains a lite amber color then it totally defeats the point. And if it’s over cooked, forget it. You might as well throw it against a wall and see if it sticks.

THIS pomegranate citrus flan however, is an absolute stunner. It’s got the bitter caramel notes and the tartness from the orange and pomegranate. It’s thin, light and refreshing (imagine that).

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Lemon Black Sesame Muffins

My favorite flavor is lemon. There’s a video when I was a toddler, probably around two, sitting on top of my cousin Karen, sucking a lemon and drooling all over her. She starts to scream and I start to laugh–it’s one of my favorite childhood memories.

Jump ahead a few years to my college days. The one thing we stocked in our mini fridge were cans of seltzers and lemons (or limes). My roommate Stephanie and I would each take a lime, squeeze it into a big red cup and pour an entire can of seltzer in. Then we’d binge watch bad TV and order Chinese food.

And these days, when I visit my cousin Lauren in Los Angeles, I drink coffee in her backyard in the early morning and stare at her beautiful citrus tree. I think to myself, “why don’t I live here?” And then I sit in hours of traffic on my way to the airport and I’m reminded why New York City is the perfect place for me. Which finally brings me to the point of this post…

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