Flan
8 ounces El Rey chocolate (61 percent chocolate, or your preference)
4 ounces Ibarra plain chocolate or Abuelita cinnamon-flavored chocolate, available at H-E-B, Central Market, and Fiesta
(if you prefer, use all El Rey)
4 cups milk
8 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon chocolate liqueur, such as Godiva or Mozart
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon coffee extract (found with other extracts)
or 2 teaspoons prepared espresso
Note: This recipe calls for 12 ramekins, 6 to 8 ounces in size. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cut chocolate into small pieces and put in a large stainless-steel bowl. In a deep, medium-sized saucepan or pot, heat milk just until it starts to simmer (do not boil). Pour over chocolate and whisk until melted.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar, then stir in warm chocolate mixture. Put through a fine-mesh strainer (such as a chinois), mix in liqueur and 2 extracts, and let cool. Butter ramekins and dust with sugar. Fill with custard and bake, uncovered, in a water bath until set, 60 to 70 minutes. (A knife inserted in the flan should come out clean.) Remove from oven and let cool while still in water bath. Remove ramekins from bath and refrigerate overnight, covered.
Sauce
1/2 pound unpeeled kumquats, thinly sliced
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
To remove bitterness, soak sliced kumquats in warm water for 5 or 6 minutes, then discard water; repeat twice and drain. In a stainless-steel pot, boil sugar with 1/2 cup water until it reaches the light caramel stage, 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately stir in kumquats and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring as necessary; add salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
To serve, unmold individual flans (run a knife around edge to loosen). Top with kumquat sauce or offer on the side. Serves 12.
