Leche Flan

“And for dessert… leche flan.”

Her eyes darted to her sister. “This can be a difficult dish to make. Did you make this on your own?”

The young girl nodded. “Yes, Ate! I promise you, this will be amazing!”

She smiled and turned to the classic Filipino dessert. The flan was set on the center of a small plate. Dark brown sugar syrup beautifully trickled down the sides of the flan, a seductive invitation to lovely melt-in-your-mouth custard with a caramelly finish.

“All right then.” She took a spoonful and examined it. It wiggled slightly, and she saw that it had just the right balance of firmness and softness. With that, she knew it would definitely glide on her tongue with ease.

With a smile, she brought the spoon to her mouth. Immediately, she tasted the smooth velvety custard, as delicious as she predicted. However, she was soon struck by the bitterness of the sugar syrup, which was obviously left to cook a few minutes far too long.

She felt like spitting the flan out, but her sister was happily, expectantly looking her way. So she forced herself to grin as she swallowed the bittersweet truth.

“So, how is it?” Her sister’s eyes were as big as saucers as she waited for a reply. “Is it good?”

She glanced at her sister’s dirty apron, her flour-covered fingers, and the pile of dirty dishes by the sink. She knew how hard her little sister worked on this, especially since she hated being in the kitchen…

Smiling, she gently said, “It’s perfect.”

“I knew you’d enjoy it! I am so happy you did! I wanted to make the best birthday treat for the best biggest sister in the world, after all!” The little girl jumped in jubilation and wrapped her arms around her. “Happy birthday, Ate!”

She hugged her little sister tight and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, love.”

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Image source: deviantart.com/jehrald/art/Leche-Flan-698335074
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