FLAN KEEPS MOM'S MEMORIES ALIVE

TREASURED RECIPES
FLAN KEEPS MOM’S
MEMORIES ALIVE
BY CAMILLE S. YATES
PHOTOS BY ED DRONDOSKI
Mayra uses the decades old flan dish that
was her mother’s to make the perfect dessert
every time. She was thrilled to find
the same dish, but a newer version, at
White City Mercantile.
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Mayra Sante Greenwood recalls the time
when she and her mother, Margarita
“Margot” Oliva Sante got word that they
should leave Cuba and come
to Fort Pierce.
“My Dad left Cuba in a boat that he made himself and
landed in Key West,” says Mayra. “A man from Fort
Pierce, Donald Horton, was down there and hired my
Dad to work on a shark fishing boat.”
So Mayra’s father, Anselmo “Chief” Sante, had a job
right after he arrived from Cuba. He went straight to
Fort Pierce to become a commercial fisherman. In 1962,
Mayra, just 6 years old, and her mother, age 23, arrived
in Fort Pierce.
Chief and Margot were glad to be in the United
States. Both worked hard to put young Mayra through
private school at St. Anastasia and John Carroll High
School. Chief was a commercial fisherman for 40 years.
Mayra’s mother cooked for and served students and
teachers at Fairlawn Elementary for 31 years. “She
baked fresh breads and cookies,” says Mayra. “She
could only cook for 500.”
“Mom’s most famous dish was her very own flan,”
says Mayra. “Mom made flan dishes forever. She made
hundreds of them.”
Margot had a favorite flan pan that Mayra still uses
today. “She bought it for 50 cents at a garage sale,” says
Mayra. The flan pan is actually a deep casserole dish.
Mayra says her mother used nothing else. If she needed
to make three flans, she would painstakingly make each
one in that favorite dish. A while back, Mayra found an
identical dish at the White City Mercantile. Now she uses
both dishes to make her mother’s special flan recipe.
Mayra says that every Latin American country has its
own version of flan, using various amounts of eggs and
different milks. She says the cream cheese in her mother’s
flan makes it smoother than most. “I’ve tasted other
people’s flan, but they don’t compare,” says Mayra, who
also makes the dessert for friends and family. She is teaching
her grandchildren, ages 10 and 4, to make it, too.
Flan is a common dessert in Latin American countries.
Mayra’s mother made it all of the time, during
the holidays or for friends who just needed a special
gift. Mayra is now always asked to bring it for holiday
meals, but she makes it for other occasions, too.
“This story is a tribute to my mother who is now
deceased,” says Mayra. “She retired from working 31
years at Fairlawn Elementary in 2001 and passed away
that same year of pancreatic cancer. I never make a flan
without thinking of my mom with every single step. I
can hear her telling me what to do … ’Make sure that
you seal the foil well!’ ”
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TREASURED RECIPES
MOM’S FLAN
A TRIBUTE TO MARGARITA “MARGOT” OLIVA SANTE
INGREDIENTS
1 c. granulated sugar
6 whole eggs
2 oz. cream cheese
Pinch of salt
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350°. Pour ¾ cup of sugar into a round 8” or 9”
metal pan that is 3-4” deep. Place the pan over low heat on the
stove until the sugar starts to bubble and caramelize. Do not leave
unattended. With oven mitts, turn the pan until caramel covers all
sides of the pan. Set aside. Let cool.
In a blender, combine the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and all of
the other ingredients until smooth (blender will fill to the top).
Gently pour contents into the caramelized pan. Cover tightly with
aluminum foil, sealing edges well. Set pan in a water bath so that
pan sits in the water halfway up. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, take out of water bath and let cool for 2 hours.
Refrigerate overnight.
To prepare on serving plate, remove aluminum foil and gently
run the back of a butter knife all around the outside edge until flan
feels loose in the pan. Place the serving platter upside down over
the flan and quickly flip over onto platter. Allow the caramelized
sugar to drizzle over the flan. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Mayra’s mother added a hint of cream cheese to her recipe
which makes the flan texture softer. Mayra thinks of her
mother (background photo) every time she makes the dessert
for holidays and other special occasions.
Wishing Holiday you Season a Blessed
from
your PGA Village & St Lucie West Specialist
selling condo’s from $100,000 to
Million Dollar Estate Homes.
AnnMarie Napolitano
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate
AnnMarie offers a blend of knowledge, business experience,
strategic marketing and professionalism in her continued
success. She is a multi-million dollar producer and strongly
believes in hard work! Her experience of the Treasure Coast
comes from being a resident and willing to go the extra mile.
AnnMarie comes recommended, respected and referred by
her customers over and over again!
Call AnnMarie for RESULTS!
Business...........772.344.7279
Toll Free..........888.705.4551
Cell..................954.675.2804
email: agolfp@aol.com
Call AnnMarie for all your Real Estate needs!
954.675.2804 | email: agolfp@aol.com
www.napolitano.homesandland.com
www.napolitano.homesandland.com
1973 SW Savage Blvd. | Port St. Lucie, FL 34953
92

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