Almond Flan (custard)/Flan de Almendras

The national dessert of Spain, flan is simple to make and a nice, light alternative to ice creams and cakes.

1 tbsp water
1 3/4 cups of sugar
1/2 cup ground Marcona almonds
3 cups milk
1 tsp grated lemon peel
6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
Thinly sliced orange for garnish

In a 9-inch baking pan, caramelize the sugar and water over low heat. When the sugar turns golden, remove from the heat and coat the bottom of the pan with the caramel.

In a blender, mix the rest of the ingredients (except the orange) until smooth. Pour the mixture into the caramelized baking pan, and place in a larger pan containing one inch of water. Bake at 350 F for about one hour until top is set and golden. Remove pan from the water and allow to cool.

Place a serving plate over pan and flip over. Remove the pan. Chill at least an hour before serving.

Serve with the orange slices as a garnish.