Chocolate Pot de Crème
Today is a celebration for lovers… it’s Valentine’s Day! Many of you will go out to your favorite restaurant while the rest of us will stay home and cook a beautiful meal. A special dinner, like tonight, is never complete without a dessert especially if it’s made with chocolate…
I have a few dessert recipes that fit the occasion like Chocolate Lava Cake with Caramel, Silk & Satin Chocolate Pie, Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Mirror Glaze, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie, Dulce de Leche Chocolate Parfait, Black Forest Cake, and more including a few treats such as Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Mendiants, Chocolate Rum Snowballs, etc.
There’s one that I like making often because it’s so easy and incredibly tasty! Is it a chocolate mousse? No. Is it a chocolate pudding? No. It’s a Chocolate Pot de Crème! This French dessert is simply pure indulgence! It’s a thick egg custard that is traditionally served in coffee cups. Since we like to evolve, ramekins are now the chosen vessel but mason jars can also be another option. This dessert is rich and incredibly delicious perfect when craving chocolate!
Many will try to rush this recipe. I, on the other hand, prefer to make it the conventional way which is warming up the heavy cream while whisking my egg yolks, sugar and salt together in a large bowl until the mixture thickens and gets creamy. From there, I temper the egg mixture with the hot cream. Next step is to pour the custard over the chocolate, let it sit for a good minute before whisking until melted. I divide the mixture into 6 ramekins, place them in a small baking dish lined with a dish cloth and pour boiling water halfway up. I then transfer to the oven and bake until the custard still jiggles a little bit.
Why do I use this process versus the blender method which is mixing everything together? It’s because there’s a risk. Unless you pasteurize them, uncooked eggs can have salmonella and cause serious health problems or even be life-threatening.
The other way some cooks do it is to put everything together (heavy cream, yolks, sugar and salt) in a saucepan and whisk until the mixture starts bubbling. The risk is not with the heavy cream with its high fat content that won’t separate. The problem is the yolks. If they’re heated too quickly, they will cook and it’s certainly not the results we’re looking for.
It’s up to you how you want to make your Chocolate Pot de Crème but at least you’re aware of the risks these two “quick” methods can have. The chilling time still remains the same; between 3 to 5 hours.
Just a quick note…
One of my subscribers was asking if it makes an impact when there’s a little white getting in with the yolks. No, it’s fine. The problem is the other way around. If you need just egg whites in a recipe, make sure there’s no yolks in them as their fat will prevent the whites from whipping properly and getting foamy.
Depending on how I feel, I might substitute Hazelnut or Grand Marnier for pure vanilla extract. Although the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of vanilla, add 1 tablespoon of the liqueur of your choice.
This elegant Chocolate Pot de Crème is so scrumptious! Rich, silky and dense, this French sweet treat is perfect to have when there’s a need for a chocolate fix! This is a great dessert for Valentine’s Day if you want to score some points tonight… lol!
Bon Appétit!
Here are more scrumptious dessert recipes for you to try…
– Creamy Cheesecake
– Chocolate Éclairs
– Pavlova
– Key Lime Pie
– Lemon Posset
– Mille-Feuille
– Tropical Pineapple Upside Down Cake
– Grand-Pères (Maple Syrup Dumplings)
and for even more dessert recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Dessert
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Chocolate Pot de Crème
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Ingredients
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp. fleur de sel
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Footnote
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF. In a large bowl, add chopped chocolate and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add egg yolks, sugar and salt. Whisk until smooth and nicely mixed; set aside.
- In a saucepan, add heavy cream and set the heat on medium – don’t let it simmer. As soon as steam comes up and small bubbles form around the edges of the pot, remove from the heat.
- Slowly temper the egg mixture by adding a small amount of hot heavy cream at a time, whisking constantly. After a few ladles, pour the rest of the cream in and whisk until well incorporated.
- Place a fine sieve over the chocolate bowl and pour the custard through it; discard any cooked eggs.
- Add pure vanilla extract but if adding liqueur instead, dismiss the vanilla. Let it sit, undisturbed, for 1 minute.
- Whisk the mixture until the chocolate is all melted.
- Fill 6 ramekins ¾’s full with the chocolate mixture before placing them on a small baking dish lined with a clean dish cloth or silicone mat.
- Pour boiling water in the baking dish half way up and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until the mixture is still jiggling a bit.
- Remove from the heat and carefully transfer the ramekins to a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat; let it cool at room temperature before chilling in the fridge until set, about 4 hours.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with berries.
Notes
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