A​ ​Scientific​ ​Paper​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Coagulation​ ​of​ ​Proteins​ ​in​ ​Egg​ ​Yolks​ ​and​ ​Egg​ ​Whites​ ​in​ ​the​

​Process​ ​of​ ​Making

Leche​ ​Flan

KALAW,​ ​Maria​ ​Noreena​ ​F.

AB-1L

Institute​ ​of​ ​Human​ ​Nutrition​ ​and​ ​Food,​ ​College​ ​of​ ​Human​ ​Ecology
University​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Philippines​ ​Los​ ​Banos

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Abstract
The main aim of this work has been the determination of the properties of egg that resulted to the
distinguishable differences in a Whole Egg Leche Flan and a Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan, and see which
produces a better custard dish, and the external factors affect the resulting custard. Basing on a given
standard recipe, two batches were prepared - one made with 4 pieces of whole eggs and the other with just
6 pieces of pure egg yolk. These formulations were evaluated based on the criteria of appearance, odor,
texture,​ ​flavor​ ​and​ ​general​ ​acceptability.

The Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan produced a better, tender, smooth, non-porous, and flavorful custard.
On the other hand, the Whole Egg Leche Flan produced a tougher, porous and less flavorful custard due
to the overcoagulation of the proteins in the egg white, and the formation of air holes as they were
denatured, both of which were caused by heat and/or overbeating. Thus, the use of pure egg yolk yield a
better​ ​Leche​ ​flan​ ​than​ ​using​ ​whole​ ​eggs.

Introduction

The egg is one of the most versatile food to prepare. It is an excellent source of all the fat-soluble (A,
D, E, and K) and a great amount of some water-soluble vitamins. In addition to this, the egg is a good
source of protein since it contains all amino acids which are essential to the body (Brown, 2011). In this
paper, only chicken eggs were used in the recipe performed, yet eggs can also vary from chicken, duck,
goose, quail to turkey eggs and many others. Whether in fresh or cooked form, the egg has several uses in
the preparation of dishes. Some of these uses include emulsification in mayonnaise and sauces, binding of
ingredients in meatloaf and meatballs, foaming of egg whites to be used in cakes and meringues, and
clarifying​ ​soups​ ​with​ ​egg​ ​whites​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​This​ ​paper​ ​focuses​ ​on​ ​one​ ​use​ ​of​ ​the​ ​egg​ ​-​ ​coagulation.

Coagulation is the clotting or precipitation of protein in a liquid into a semisolid compound (Brown,
2011). The dish prepared by the students was leche flan, a custard dessert. Custards are thickened
mixtures of dairy (milk or cream) and egg (whole, yolk only, or whites only) with added sugar and
flavorings (Field, 2017). The texture of the custard depends on the ratio of the ingredients, as well as the
manner of cooking. The flan was said to have originated from ancient Rome when chicken eggs were in
surplus, thus the Greeks developed a savory custardy dish. It survived several invasions and was adopted
by the Spanish into a sweet custard with caramelized sugar (Rayment, 2017). This is the closest thing

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Filipinos have with their leche flan. ​Leche literally translates to ​milk ​in Spanish, thus leche flan is a ​“milk
flan”​.

In making leche flan, some cooks prefer using only egg, while others add whole eggs to the recipe in
order to make the flan firmer. During the activity, the students performed the recipe in two batches - one
batch where pure egg yolks were used in the custard, and one batch with whole eggs (egg white and egg
yolk). The students believe that a leche flan made with pure egg yolks will yield a more tender and
flavorful​ ​custard​ ​than​ ​a​ ​leche​ ​flan​ ​made​ ​with​ ​whole​ ​eggs.​ ​This​ ​hypothesis​ ​was​ ​tested​ ​in​ ​the​ ​laboratory.

The​ ​objectives​ ​of​ ​the​ ​activity​ ​were​ ​as​ ​follows:

- To​ ​illustrate​ ​the​ ​chemical​ ​properties​ ​of​ ​egg​ ​yolk​ ​and​ ​egg​ ​white
- To​ ​enumerate​ ​the​ ​effects​ ​of​ ​heat​ ​in​ ​the​ ​coagulation​ ​of​ ​egg​ ​yolk​ ​and​ ​egg​ ​white
- To​ ​define​ ​the​ ​characteristics​ ​of​ ​a​ ​good,​ ​well-cooked​ ​leche​ ​flan
- To distinguish how certain properties in egg yolk and egg white affect the tenderness of
leche​ ​flan
- To know whether using whole eggs or only egg yolks yields a better leche flan than the
other

Materials​ ​and​ ​Methods

Two batches of leche flan were made - one with pure egg yolks and one with whole eggs. Both
underwent the same procedure all throughout the recipe, and only differed by the egg yolks or whole eggs
used.

Caramelizing​ ​of​ ​sugar

2 Tablespoons of white sugar were placed into each of the metal leche flan molders. With the use of
metal tongs, the molders were set to caramelize over direct fire on the stove top until the sugar melts and
turns golden brown. The molders were swirled during heating in order to make sure that the sugar melts
evenly,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​occurrence​ ​of​ ​burnt​ ​spots​ ​are​ ​avoided.​ ​These​ ​were​ ​set​ ​aside​ ​to​ ​cool.

Preparing​ ​the​ ​steamer

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 The bottom-most part of the steamer was filled with water until half-way, and was set to simmer
while​ ​covered.

Making​ ​the​ ​custard

For the Whole Egg Leche Flan, 4 pieces of slightly beaten whole eggs, 12 ounces of evaporated milk,
and ½ cup of white sugar were combined in a mixing bowl. For the Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan, 6 pieces
of slightly egg yolk, 12 ounces of evaporated milk, and ½ cup of white sugar were combined in a mixing
bowl.

Both custard bases were mixed well in order to prevent the formation of foams. To make sure that no
lumps will remain in the mixture, both were passed through a strainer. ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract was
added to each of the two custard bases. Afterwards, they were poured into the leche flan molders with the
cooled,​ ​caramelized​ ​sugar​ ​at​ ​the​ ​bottom.

Cooking​ ​the​ ​leche​ ​flan

The leche flan molders were each covered using aluminum foil, and placed on the steamer. Before
placing the steamer cover, cheesecloth was placed at the very top. The leche flans were left to steam for
20​ ​minutes​ ​at​ ​simmering​ ​temperature.​ ​The​ ​students​ ​monitored​ ​the​ ​water,​ ​so​ ​as​ ​not​ ​to​ ​let​ ​it​ ​boil.

Serving​ ​the​ ​leche​ ​flan

The heat was turned off, and the leche flan molders were taken out of the steamer. In order to easily
remove them from the pan, a thin knife was run through the edges of the molder, separating the flan from
it. The leche flans were then flipped upside down on individual serving plates, which were separated into
2 groups - the egg yolk-only leche flans and the whole egg leche flans. Lastly, the members of the group
performed​ ​a​ ​sensory​ ​evaluation​ ​on​ ​the​ ​two​ ​types​ ​of​ ​leche​ ​flans.

Results​ ​and​ ​Discussion

After the sensory evaluations for the Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan and the Whole Egg Leche Flan were
performed by the group members, the results were gathered. It was observed that all the evaluations of the
group​ ​members​ ​were​ ​similar​ ​in​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​the​ ​criteria​ ​presented​ ​as​ ​represented​ ​in​ ​Table​ ​1.

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Table​ ​1.​ ​Sensory​ ​Evaluation​ ​of​ ​Pure​ ​Egg​ ​Yolk​ ​Leche​ ​Flan​ ​and​ ​Whole​ ​Egg​ ​Leche​ ​Flan.

Criteria Pure​ ​egg​ ​yolk Whole​ ​eggs

Odor caramel​ ​odor eggy,​ ​caramel​ ​odor

Texture

a.​ ​ ​ ​ ​Firm​ ​but​ ​tender ✓

b.​ ​ ​ ​ ​Firm​ ​but​ ​stiffer ✓

Appearance

a.​ ​ ​ ​ ​Golden​ ​yellow​ ​brown ✓

b.​ ​ ​ ​ ​Lighter​ ​golden​ ​yellow​ ​brown ✓

c.​ ​ ​ ​ ​Porous ✓

d.​ ​ ​ ​ ​Non-porous ✓

Flavor

a.​ ​ ​ ​ ​Pleasantly​ ​sweet​ ​and​ ​flavorful ✓

b.​ ​ ​ ​ ​Pleasantly​ ​sweet​ ​but​ ​less​ ​flavorful ✓

General​ ​Acceptability ✓ ✓

In terms of texture, the Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan was firm but tender, and creamy. It had a caramel
odor. For the appearance, it yielded a golden yellow brown top color which formed on top of the custard,
together with the sugar syrup. After slicing, it was observed that there were no pores or holes in the
custard.​ ​Lastly,​ ​it​ ​had​ ​a​ ​greater,​ ​pleasantly​ ​sweet​ ​flavor.

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 Figure​ ​1.​ ​Pure​ ​Egg​ ​Yolk​ ​Leche​ ​Flan.

On the other hand, the Whole Egg Leche Flan was firm but stiffer compared to the Pure Egg Yolk
Leche Flan. It was observed that the flan had several holes. The top layer was tougher to chew than the
bottom layer. It also had a caramel odor. The Whole Egg Leche Flan had a lighter golden yellow brown
top in appearance. Lastly, it had a pleasantly sweet flavor, but was less flavorful than the other batch with
only​ ​pure​ ​egg​ ​yolk.

Figure​ ​2.​ ​Whole​ ​Egg​ ​Leche​ ​Flan.

The end results showed the main differences between a Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan and a Whole Egg
Leche​ ​Flan.

The Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan was proven to be more tender than the Whole Egg Leche Flan. This is
due to the phenomenon that the proteins in eggs coagulate at different temperatures - the egg white at

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60°C to 65°C, and egg yolk at 62°C to 70°C (Egg Farmers of Canada, 2017). Beyond these temperatures,
the egg will undergo overcoagulation and shrinkage. The water will squeeze out, which will leave a tough
texture for the custard. Eggs, and especially the egg white, are composed of several different proteins,
where more than half is ovalbumin. It gels well and denatures easily when heated (Brown, 2011). Since
the egg white proteins in the Whole Egg Leche Flan coagulated first, then this led to the toughness of the
Leche Flan. Another way of illustrating this is showing the structure of proteins, which are made up of
long chains of amino acids. When it is heated or air is incorporated, the chain partly comes apart
(denaturation), and their hydrophobic and hydrophilic ends are exposed. The hydrophilic ends form new
bonds with water. Protein molecules hold air bubbles in place, such that when they are overheated or
overbeaten, the bonds will tighten and moisture will escape, leading to dry, firm, and rubbery eggs (Egg
Farmers of Canada, 2017). The Whole Egg Leche Flan had a tougher, chewy top layer which may have
been the rubbery egg whites that were overheated. One way to prevent this from happening is to increase
the amount of sugar added, which raises the coagulation temperature, yielding a softer, weaker gel.
Incorporating​ ​more​ ​milk​ ​into​ ​the​ ​dish​ ​also​ ​increases​ ​the​ ​coagulation​ ​temperature​ ​(Hurtada,​ ​et.al.,​ ​1998).

In terms of appearance, the Whole Egg Leche Flan exhibited a lighter golden yellow brown color than
the Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan which had a darker, golden brown color. According to Field (2017), egg
yolks contribute a lot of color as compared to whole eggs. The protein in egg yolks brown when exposed
to heat and in contact with the carbohydrates in the egg, also known as the Maillard reaction. Using whole
eggs will yield a lighter golden yellow brown color because whites are pale and color, especially if they
don’t contain other natural or artificial coloring agents. It was also observed that the Whole Egg Leche
Flan contained pores and the Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan did not. These pores were air pockets made as air
was incorporated into the protein molecules in egg whites during the mixing part of the procedure. The
proteins break from their bonds and form a web that encases air bubbles, which forms holes during
cooking​ ​(Egg​ ​Farmers​ ​of​ ​Canada,​ ​2017).

Lastly, the Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan had greater flavor than the Whole Egg Leche Flan. Generally,
egg whites do not contribute to the overall flavor of the dishes that you are preparing. Adding whole eggs
constitute to a more “pure” and “mellow” tasting dish which is less flavorful. On the other hand, adding
egg yolks contributed to the flavor of the custard because the fat content in the yolks also helped carry and
preserve​ ​other​ ​flavors​ ​(Field,​ ​2017).

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Summary​ ​and​ ​Conclusion

After preparing the two batches of leche flan, using sensory evaluation to observe the differences
between the two, gathering the data and results of the evaluation, and researching on the properties of
eggs and how they are affected by several factors, the results showed that the Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan
was better in all the presented criteria as compared to the Whole Egg Leche Flan. The tougher, chewier
texture of the latter was contributed by the presence of egg whites in the recipe, which formed air bubbles
in the custard base, and formed a tough layer at the top. Therefore, using pure egg yolk in making leche
flan yields a more tender, flavorful custard than using whole eggs which yields a tougher, less flavorful
custard.

Some​ ​possible​ ​errors​ ​in​ ​the​ ​execution​ ​of​ ​the​ ​recipe​ ​are​ ​as​ ​follows:
- Temperature of the water was not controlled during the steaming process, which may
have contributed to overheating, as the water should have been just at simmering
temperature,
- Custard bases were mixed too vigorously, which caused more air and foam incorporated
into​ ​the​ ​mixture,
- 12 ounces of evaporated milk was added to each of the two batches, even if the required
amount in the recipe stated that only 6 ounces was to be added to each, which may have
affected​ ​the​ ​overall​ ​result​ ​of​ ​the​ ​preparation;​ ​and
- 5 minutes were added to the steaming time (20 minutes in totally, but originally 15
minutes), as instructed by the professor due to the error in the addition of evaporated
milk.

After learning about the properties of eggs, egg whites and egg yolks, and how several factors affect
these properties, the group members recommend using 1 whole egg for every 4 egg yolks in a leche flan
recipe,​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​yield​ ​a​ ​tender​ ​yet​ ​still​ ​firm​ ​texture​ ​in​ ​the​ ​custard.

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Literature​ ​Cited

Brown,​ ​A.​ ​(2011).​ ​Understanding​ ​food​ ​principles​ ​&​ ​preparation​ ​(4th​ ​Ed.).​ ​CA:​ ​Cengage​ ​Learning.
Egg​ ​Farmers​ ​of​ ​Canada.​ ​(2017).​ ​Eggs​ ​101:​ ​Food​ ​Science.​ ​Eggs.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from
https://www.eggs.ca/eggs101/view/95/food-science.
Field, J. (2017). Ingredient function: how do eggs function in baking? | fundamental Friday​. Pastry Chef
Online.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from​ ​https://pastrychefonline.com/2015/03/14/how-do-eggs-function-in-baking
Hurtada, W.A., et. al. (1998). ​Fundamentals in food preparation and service. Metro Manila: NDAP
Foundation.
Rayment, W.J. (2017). ​History of flan​. Holiday cook. Retrieved from
http://flan.holidaycook.com/history.shtml.