Flan Almendra

½ cup sugar
1 2/3 cups sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup slivered almonds

    Sprinkle sugar in a 9-inch round cakepan; place over medium heat.  Using oven mitts, caramelize sugar by shaking pan occasionally until sugar melts and turns a light golden brown;  cool.  (Mixture may crack slightly as it cools.)
    Combine next 6 ingredients in container of an electric blender; process at high speed 15 seconds.  Pour over caramelized sugar; cover pan with aluminum foil, and place in a large shallow pan.  Pour hot water to depth of 1 inch into larger pan.  Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.
    Remove pan from water and uncover; let cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes.  Loosen edges with a spatula.  Invert flan onto plate.    Yield:  6 servings.


Individual Flans Almendra:

Place 1 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan; place over medium heat.  Using oven mitts, caramelize sugar by shaking pan occasionally until sugar melts and turns a light golden brown.  Remove from heat.  Pour hot caramel mixture into 6 (10-oz.) custard cups.  Let cool.  Pour flan mixture evenly into custard cups, making sure ground almond mixture is evenly divided; cover with aluminum foil.  Place custard cups in a broiler pan; pour hot water to depth of 1 inch into pan.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.  Remove cups from water, and cool.  To serve, loosen edge of custard with a spatula; invert onto plates. 

Note:  A little stirring may be necessary when caramelizing the sugar if a gas burner is used.