A Scientific Paper on the Coagulation of Egg Yolk and

Egg White Proteins and Its Effect in the

Process of Making Leche Flan

GAVIÑO, Shaira Joy C.

March 2020
I. ABSTRACT

The comparison between the effects of using pure egg yolks and whole eggs in preparing

Leche Flan was observed in this experiment. The procedure is done by cooking two setups of

Leche Flan with the same set of steps but mainly differing in the egg components. The final

product was then evaluated in terms of its taste, color, texture, and the general acceptability

wherein the results showed that the flan made with pure egg yolk is more favorable than the

flan made with whole eggs due to its creamier and sweeter flavor and taste.

II. INTRODUCTION

Food is one of the basic commodities needed by living things in order to survive. On an

average day, most people all around the world practice consuming at least three meals per day to

ensure that their nutritional requirements for the vitamins and minerals is met. These vitamins

and minerals help our body to regulate and to perform various processes that is beneficial for our

body and overall health and one culture that we do whenever we finish our main course is dessert

or a food that is something sweet and savory designated to complete the meal (IJERD, 2018).

One of the well-known dessert here in the Philippines is the Leche Flan—mainly known

for its savory, creamy, and custardy taste which main component is the egg. Eggs are one of the

most versatile food that can be used in various recipes. Aside from it being a good source of the

fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K—which affects the flavor of the product, and some water-soluble

vitamins. It is also an excellent source of proteins—which affects the color and appearance of the
product, due to its amino acid components which is a highly-essential nutrient for the body.

Color changes can also occur due to overcooking wherein the egg would result to a greyish color

(Brown, 2011). Eggs also have different sources such as chickens, geese, ducks, quails, etc. Eggs

in different forms, whether cooked or fresh, can be used in several dish recipes such as the

emulsifier in sauces and mayonnaise, formation of egg white foams that can be used as a

leavening agent in cakes and meringues. This paper will talk about and focus on the effect of the

coagulation of eggs in the process of making Leche Flans.

Coagulation is the process of clotting or precipitation of the protein component in a liquid

into a semisolid compound. The coagulation of the egg yolk is different from the coagulation of

the egg whites since the coagulation of the egg yolk will result to a soft consistency while the

egg whites’ will result to a firm foam. Leche flan, a custard dessert, is a thickened mixture of

dairy and egg flavored by sugars and other flavorings (vanilla extract, etc.) (Field, 2017), whose

texture will heavily rely on the ratio of the mixed ingredients and the manner of mixing and

cooking.

In this experiment, two setups were made to compare and identify the different effects of

the egg component when making leche flan given by a set of taste and appearance standards

given in the manual.

III. MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two setups of the leche flans were made where one was made with whole eggs and the
other one with pure yolk. They differ in the mixture content but both underwent the same process

and procedure all throughout the cooking process.

Caramelization of Sugar

2 Tablespoons of sugar were placed into each of the leche flan molders or llanera. With

the help of metal tongs, the molders were set to caramelize and exposed over direct heat in the

top of the stop until the sugar turns golden brown. Swirling was observed to ensure that there are

no burnt parts, and then set aside to cool.

Preparing the steamer

The lowest container of the steamer was filled half-way with water and was left to

simmer.

Making the custard

For the Whole Egg Leche Flan, 4 pieces of slightly beaten whole eggs, 350mL of

evaporated milk, and ½ cup of sugar were combined in a mixing bowl. As for the Pure Egg Yolk

Leche Flan, 6 pieces of slightly beaten egg yolk, 350mL of evaporated milk, and ½ cup of white

sugar were combined. Both were mixed carefully to prevent the formation of bubbles. Vanilla

extract was also added to both for additional flavor. After mixing, they were passed on through a

strainer to ensure that no lumps will stay in the mixture. Then, they were poured onto the

molders with cooled caramelized sugar.

Cooking the Leche Flan

The llaneras were covered with aluminum foil and placed onto the steamer. Left to steam

for atleast 20 minutes while ensuring that the water was not boiling.

Serving the Leche Flan

After turning of the heat, the llaneras were taken out of the steamer. And to easily

remove the custart from the molders, a knife was run through the edges to separate the flans from

the molder. The flans were then flipped upside down onto separate utility plates and then served

for the sensory evaluation.

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

After the sensory evaluations made by the students for the Whole Egg Leche Flan and the

Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan, the results were then gathered and recorded to be shown in the table

shown.

Table 1. Sensory Evaluation of Pure Egg Yolk and Whole Egg Leche Flan.
Whole eggs Pure egg yolks
Texture
a. Firm but tender ✔
b. Firm but stiffer ✔
Appearance
a. Golden yellow brown ✔
b. Light golden yellow
✔
brown
Flavor
 a. Pleasantly sweet and
✔
flavorful
b. Pleasantly sweet but
✔
less flavorful

As shown in Table 1. And Figure 1. below, the pure egg yolk custard was firm but tender

in terms of consistency. For its appearance, it exhibited a golden yellow brown top color. Upon

slicing the product, no holes or pores can be observed yielding a smooth and creamy consistency.

The flavor was pleasantly sweet and flavorful.

Leche flan made with whole egg, on the other hand, was also firm but stiffer in terms of

texture. Holes and pores are also easily observed just from the sides of the custard. It displays a

lighter golden yellow brown color and had a pleasantly sweet flavor, but it was less flavorful

than the one with only pure yolk.

Figure 2. Whole Egg Leche Flan

 In terms of texture, the results showed that the Leche Flan made with pure yolk is tender

and creamier than the flan made with whole eggs based from the evaluation criteria provided.

This can be explained by the coagulation of the protein in eggs at different temperatures—the

egg white (60°C-65°C) and the egg yolk (62°C-72°C) (Egg Farmers of Canada, 2017). If eggs

are exposed beyond the given temperatures, they will overcoagulate and the product will result to

shrinkage due to water loss which will then leave a tough texture for the flan. Also, eggs when

exposed to heat denatures easily since eggs, especially the egg whites, are composed of different

proteins wherein majority is ovalbumin which gels well (Brown, 2011). This explains why the

leche flan with whole egg was stiffer than that with pure yolk. The egg whites coagulated first

which resulted to the toughness of the custard. One can prevent this by adding more sugar to

increase the coagulation temperature as well as incorportating more milk in the mixture

(Hurtada, et. al,. 1998).

In appearance, the two differ in color with the whole egg leche flan showing a lighter

golden yellow brown color than the pure yolk leche flan. This is because the egg yolks contribute

a lot in terms of the color of the final product. This can be explained by the Maillard reaction

wherein the protein contained in the yolks turn brown when exposed to heat and when in contact

with the carbohydrates in the egg. The flan with whole eggs, on the other hand, showed a lighter

golden yellow brown color since the whites made the mixture pale. Also in the appearance, holes

and pores were observed in the whole egg while it is absent in the pure yolk. This is because air

pockets were incorporated in the protein molecules present in the egg whites during the mixing

phase. The proteins then breaks from their bonds forming a web which traps the air bubbles that

resulted to the formation of holes during the cooking process (Egg Farmers of Canada, 2017).
 Lastly, the pure egg yolk leche flan was more flavorful than the whole egg leche flan.

This is because the egg whites have noting to contribute in terms of taste and flavor while yolks

contributed to the custard-y taste due to its fat content (Field, 2017).

V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Upon performing the sensory evaluation to compare and contrast the two setup of leche

flans, the differences were identified and recorded. Knowing the properties of eggs, it can be said

that they affect many factors which contributed to the final product’s evaluation. The results

showed that the Pure Egg Yolk Leche Flan was better in the given criteria compared to the

Whole Egg Leche Flan. The Whole Egg Leche Flan was tougher due to the coagulation of egg

whites, while the Pure Yolk Egg Leche Flan was more flavorful due to the contribution of the

yolk to the custard flavor. Therefore, using pure egg yolk will result to a more tender, creamier,

and sweeter custard.

For future studies, it is recommended to observe just the simmering temperature of the

water during the cooking process to avoid overheating and overcoagulation.

VI. LITERATURE CITED

Brown, A. (2005). Understanding food principles and preparations (2nd Ed.). CA:
Cengage Learning
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). What do eggs do in baking. Functions of eggs in baking. Retrieved from
https://pastrychefonline.com/how-do-eggs-function-in-baking/
Hurtada, W.A., et. al. (1998). Fundamentals in food preparation and service. Metro
Manila: NDAP Foundation.
IJERD (2018). International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development. (9-2)
Retrieved from
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