My Humble Attempt at THE FLAN

My absolute favorite dessert is the fruit flan.
The custard/pastry cream.
The fruit.
So many different combinations, smooth and creamy.
Good Golly Miss Molly!

Funny story:
Mr BM knows this is my fav.
For my birthday last year he knew what to do.

Birthday Morning: the boys wake me up, singing, with what nearly looked like a flan in my hazy state.(with a higher graham crust)
I wipe my eyes, blow out the candles, look loving into the plump glistening strawberries cascading over top.
Fail
Cheesecake.

Birthday Dinner:  Mr. BM promises that he searched high and low for it.
Again, singing, candles, blueberries this time!  This MUST be a winner!
Fail
Sponge with whipped cream filling.

CMON, now I have 2 decadent desserts to eat between 3 people that aren't anything of what I had hoped for.
Bless him for trying!

Day 2 of Quest:  Mr. BM comes home after work with a small pastry box.  Lovingly says "next year I will pre-order the flan, all I could find you was a tart"

At that moment I knew he was a keeper!  I heart him bunches!

This year, I decided I would make my own fruit flan, to avoid the kerfuffles (because I know he didn't pre-order anything)
We had picked up these fantastic field blackberries (the tiny sweet ones mmmmm) and some blueberries from the market. 
Those would be the inspiration!

I wish I could tell you this turned out better than any other dessert I have ever made.
It didn't.
The flan pans I inherited do not have removable sides.  You can only imagine the mess.
The sponge I made was a teensy bit too flat, not posting the recipe because it was a fail. 
BUT the pastry cream was perfect.  So we put it together anyway, ate it and enjoyed it even though it was a blunder in the kitchen.

Blueberry/Blackberry Flan

1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh field blackberries
flan crust / sponge (use your favorite)
pastry cream

Pasty Cream Recipe:
1 1/4 c. milk (I used 1%)
1/2 vanilla bean split
3 egg yolks
1/4 c. vanilla sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

In a pot heat the milk on medium high heat with the split bean, just until foamy and starting to boil.
While the milk is heating up, in a bowl mix the sugar and egg yolks together.  Sift the flour and cornstarch in and mix until you get a smooth paste.

Once the milk is ready slowly pour into the egg mixture, keeping the bean aside. Tempering.
A few drops at first to heat up the mixture and then a slow steady stream.  You don't want scrambled egg bits.  If you aren't sure, pour through a sieve.
Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the mixture.

Pour back into the pot and heat slowly while whisking constantly.  You want it to just come to a boil, remove from the heat and keep stirring.
Pour into a bowl put plastic wrap right on the surface and cool completely (in the fridge)

I`m Listening To: Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard