This recipe is typical of the Jaen area, and is perfect for surprising your guests with a fresh, aromatic dessert. It does not taste of olive oil, but rather of home-made sweet egg pudding. This is a traditional dessert to follow any meal, it is very simple and it is always a hit.

Crème caramel (or flan) contains egg, which has outstanding nutritional value: for Instance, It contains all the amino acids that the body needs in adequate quantities. What's more, it is a source of proteins of high biological value, antioxidant vitamins such as A and E, and minerals like selenium and zinc. In this recipe, milk and sugar are added, which means an increase in calories, but no decrease in nutritional value. Milk also contains valuable proteins and in addition to these, the dish contains calcium, potassium, sugar, sodium, phosphorus, vitamins B1, B5, B9, B3, A, D and C. It does, however, contain cholesterol and saturated fat, which is why moderate consumption is recommended.

Preparation:

Wash the lemon well and when it is clean, carefully remove the peel without removing the white underlayer, which has a strongly bitter taste.

Place a saucepan on a medium heat add the milk, the cinnamon stick, the lemon peel and the aniseed. When the milk starts to boil, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 1 minute.

Remove the pan from the heat, cover it and leave the mixture to stand for 5 minutes, so that the milk is infused with the lemon peel and spices.

Then strain the milk and reserve it.

Place half of the sugar and the eggs in a large bowl or a food blender and beat them well. Add the Betis olive oil and beat the mixture again until the oil is well integrated. Finally, pour in the milk and beat again until a smooth blend is obtained.

Place the other half of the sugar, a little water and a little lemon juice in a pan and heat the mixture to prepare the caramel sauce. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat and leave it to simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Next, line the insides of a flan mould with the caramel mixture, taking care not to spill any or pour too much into the moulds.

Pour the crème caramel mixture into the moulds, without overfilling them.

Once the moulds are full, place them in a large oven dish (bain marie style) so that they are floating in water at room temperature.

Place the dish in the oven, preheated to 170°C  (338°F) and cook the crème caramel in a bain marie for 40 minutes, taking care not to burn the surface. To test whether the dish is ready, stick a needle into one of the flans. If it comes out clean, then it is cooked.

Leave the desserts to cool and then they are ready to serve.

Note: serves 4. Preparation time 60 mins. Cooking time: 40 mins.