Instructions: To prepare sauce: Pour sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Stir constantly about 8 minutes or until sugar is golden.

Immediately - and carefully - pour hot caramel sauce into ovenproof pie plate or 8 inch round baking pan, gently moving dish so sauce covers bottom and sides.

Let cool completely.

To prepare flan: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir eggs in a bowl. Slowly add condensed milk, then evaporated milk. Add vanilla, blending well. Pour flan mixture over ovenproof dish coated with caramel. Carefully place filled dish into a baking pan. Pour in enough hot water to reach about halfway up dish. This water bath process is called bano mar(acu)a in Spanish and bain-marie in French.

Bake about 40 minutes. Flan is cooked when a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Carefully separate flan from dish with a thin knife and let cool. Invert on a flat dish and garnish with sliced strawberries, maraschino cherries or other fruit. Flan may be refrigerated for a few days and is best served very cold.

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