Cream Cheese Flan (Flan de Queso - Guatemala)

Cream Cheese Flan:
16 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
7 large eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip cream cheese, eggs and condensed milk in a blender or food processor. Add milk, sugar and vanilla extract; process until smooth.

Caramelized Sugar:
1 cup granulated sugar

Cook sugar in a small heavy saucepan or a copper caramelizing pot over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar turns a honey color. As the sugar begins to dissolve, stir only occasionally. Once dissolved, continue cooking without stirring until it is a deep amber color. The color will change rapidly, so closely monitor the saucepan. Immediately after removing caramelized sugar from the burner, pour it into a 2-quart souffle dish. Quickly tilt the dish in various directions so that the caramelized sugar coats the bottom and sides.

Pour the cream cheese mixture into the souffle dish, and then place it in a water bath — any shallow pan large enough to hold the dish with room to spare and filled with 1 inch of hot water. Bake the flan on the middle rack in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted off center comes out clean. The flan will puff completely, like a pumpkin pie, when it has finished baking.

Remove the flan from the oven and carefully lift the dish from the water bath.

Allow the flan to cool while you prepare the cookie crumb crust.

Cookie Crumb Crust:
8 ounces chocolate wafer cookies
4 tablespoons lightly salted butter, melted

Grind half of the cookies in a food processor to make fine crumbs. Add remaining cookies to the crumbs and grind those. Pour in the melted butter and process for a few seconds to blend. Spread the cookie-crumb mixture evenly over the flan (which will have deflated a bit by now). Press very gently on the crumb mixture to pack it down. Allow the flan to cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours so that the crust sets.

Unmold the flan by running a sharp, non-serrated knife around the inside of the souffl dish. Invert the flan onto a serving platter. Cut it into 8 wedges to serve.

NOTE: vanilla wafers, gingersnaps or graham crackers may be substituted for the chocolate wafer cookies.