Now that our panel of sophisticated tasters and flan critics have carefully tasted all of the entries, the poll is open. Our experts would choose the ultimate flan champion based on presentation, aroma, texture, and overall taste. While, we await the judges' final verdict, let us review today's competition.
First, we have a Hong Kong-style flan (it is actually an egg tart, not a flan, but it is close enough). The silky smooth texture and the rich custard flavor playfully contrast against the juicy peaches and the flaky crust. Egg tart is one of the most popular pastry in Hong Kong and is highly sought-after by foreigners, including former Hong Kong Governor, Christopher Patten. A fun fact: while the egg tart is quite easy to make, the recipe calls for 10 minutes baking in a 400°C (~752°F) oven. That's hot!
Next, we have the authentic Spanish flan, in original flavor (bottom of the picture) and in pumpkin flavor (top of the picture). The magical combination of creamy custard, rich caramel topping, and perfectly balance sweetness is further highlighted by the bold, yet delightful, pumpkin flavor. These two flans represent the best fruit of our contestant's sleepless labor. In fact, a total of ten flans were made by our flan expert, and only three satisfied her stringent quality expectation. The third flan, in raspberry flavor, was briefly presented to the crowd, but was ultimately withdrawn from the competition by the contestant.
Our third contestant has, unfortunately, decided to forfeit at the last minutes; therefore, the legendary Cuban pomegranate flan will forever remain a legend.
Overall, it was a fun and exciting contest. Cake Hour turnout has reached an all-time-high. There was some discussion on possible future contest topics - pies, muffins, cookies... If you have an interesting idea for our next ultimate championship challenge, please leave a comment.
Finally, the recipes for these delicious flans will soon be posted in the Recipes section. Stay tuned.
-- Update --
The poll is over and the votes are in. The peach flan got 11 votes, the original flan also got 11 votes, and the pumpkin flan got 3 votes.
