Lemon-and-cinnamon-scented flan

Some recipes catch my attention for its ingredients and/or an unusual combination of those, and this is one of them: the idea of mixing cinnamon and lemon to flavor a creamy dessert sounded delicious! But there was also something nostalgic involved in my decision to make this dessert: my mom used to make flans all the time when I was a kid. :)

Lemon-and-cinnamon-scented flan
from the always delicious Food & Wine

2 ½ cups (600ml) whole milk
peel of half a lemon (removed with a vegetable peeler – avoid the white pith)
1 medium cinnamon stick, broken
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60ml) water
5 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Set six 150 to 180ml (5- to 6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups in a medium baking pan.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, lemon peel and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes; discard the lemon peel and cinnamon stick pieces.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook ½ cup (100g) of the sugar with the water over moderately high heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Lower the heat to moderate and let the sugar syrup simmer, without stirring, until a deep amber caramel forms, about 15 minutes. Immediately pour the caramel into the ramekins, tilting them as necessary to evenly coat the bottoms.
Warm the milk mixture. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining ½ cup of sugar. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, then strain through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup or a bowl. Pour the custard into the ramekins. Pour enough hot water into the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into a flan comes out clean. Transfer the ramekins to a rack and let the flans cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the flans for at least 4 hours or overnight.
To serve, run a thin knife around each flan. Top each flan with an inverted dessert plate and unmold, letting the caramel run over the flans. Serve at once.

The flans can be refrigerated for up to 2 days in the ramekins.

Serves 6