Recipe - Portuguese Flan

1 One half cup Sugar
One half cup Water
8 lg Eggs
4 lg Egg yolks
1 cup Sugar; plus
2 tablespoon Sugar
2 teaspoon Vanilla
1 qt Halfandhalf
2 teaspoon Port
Violets; nasturtiums, other
edible flowers, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. To make caramel, combine the sugar and the
water in a medium saucepan. Be sure all the sugar granules are washed down
from the sides of the pan (use a wet pastry brush). Cook over moderate
heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the color is goldenbrown and
the mixture smells like caramel. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
Pour the caramel into a 9inch round cake pan and, holding the pan with an
oven glove, swirl it around to generously coat the bottom and sides. Set
aside. In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, egg yolks,
sugar, vanilla, and 2 cups of the halfandhalf, without whisking in any
air. Bring the remaining halfandhalf and the port to a simmer in a small
saucepan and begin whisking this into the egg mixture a little at a time,
whisking constantly until it is all incorporated. Pour through a strainer
into the prepared cake pan. Place the pan inside a large roasting pan and
pour very hot tap water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the sides
of the cake pan. Bake for about 1 to 1 One fourth hours, or until the center is
slightly jiggly but not wavy. Cool to room temperature and then cover with
plastic wrap with the plastic gently touching the top of the flan.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 4 days. To unmold the custard,
run a small sharp knife around the inside edges of the dish several times
to loosen it. Dip the bottom briefly in a basin of very hot tap water.
Invert a round platter over the dish and turn them both over together,
shaking the two a little to help release the custard (or rap the bottom of
the platter gently on the work surface). The caramel sauce will run out
around the edges of the platter. Garnish the top of the flan with violets
or other edible flowers. This recipe yields 8 to 10