Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Have llanera on hand because the caramel in the next step hardens quickly.

*If you want a deeper, stronger smoky flavor, cook the caramel until it is a medium-dark amber color. If you want a lighter caramel, cook until it is a light amber color, similar to a shade or two darker than honey.In a saucepan, combine ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup water. Heat on medium-low and do not stir. If you need to mix it, you can gently swirl the pan. As it cooks, the sugar should dissolve, bubble, then turn from a cloudy white liquid to a light golden color. Once the caramel reaches a light amber color, pour into your llanera, evenly covering the bottom. You can tilt the llanera to distribute the caramel around. Place llanera in baking tray and let caramel cool as you make the flan mixture.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 8 egg yolks and 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk until smooth.

Stir in 12 ounces evaporated milk and 1 tablespoon vanilla until combined. Use silicone spatula to scrape bottom and sides of bowl.

Pour flan mixture through sieve right into your llanera. This will get rid of any eggy streaks.

Add room temperature water into the baking tray so that the llanera is sitting in 2-3 inches of water. Lightly cover with lid (do not lock llanera so the top is easy to remove & check for doneness) or aluminum foil.

Bake for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of your llanera. I recommend checking it at the 30 minute mark. To make sure it is done, it must pass these 3 tests: (1) the top should be set but still jiggle (2) when touched with a finger it shouldn't stick (3) a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Let cool (uncovered) at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Lightly cover and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (up to overnight) to allow it to fully set.

To serve, remove cover from llanera. Use an offset spatula to loosen the sides of the flan. I like to run my spatula on the sides 2-3 times. Place your serving dish upside down on top of the llanera. Flip over, tap on the llanera, and the flan should slide out! If it's not coming out at all, flip back over and try to loosen the sides again with your offset spatula. Enjoy!

For easier clean up, I suggest pouring very hot (almost boiling!) water into your llanera and letting it sit for a few minutes to let the caramel melt. Pour this out into your sink and repeat as many times as possible!