Chocolate Pots de Crème

Usually my chocolate cravings can be satisfied by a handful of bittersweet chocolate chips, but when not, this decadent recipe is the ultimate solution. A pot de crème in French loosely translates to ‘pot of custard.’ This chocolate version is richly scrumptious and best served chilled. I didn’t have multiple same-sized ramekins, so I used my set of Apilco French porcelain coffee cups which are oven safe. They keep well coverd in their containers in the fridge for up to a week.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, plus 1/2 cup heavy cream for the whipped cream

• 1/2 cup half & half

• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

• 4 egg yolks

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt

Recipe

1. Adjust your oven rack to the middle and preheat oven to 300°F. Place a fine mesh strainer over a glass bowl and set aside. Arrange six (6-ounce) ramekins in a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside. Bring a kettle of water to boil and remove from heat, reserving for filling up the baking dish just before baking. Pre-chill a metal mixing bowl and the beaters in the freezer for making your whipped cream.

2. Heat 1 1/2 cups of cream and the half & half in a large saucepan over medium heat stirring occasionally until it comes to a low boil. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt Whisking constantly, stream in the chocolate mixture until combined.

4. Pour the mixture into the reserved strainer and glass bowl. Divide the custard into the six ramekins. Pour hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins and carefully transfer to the preheated oven. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. The edges should be set and the middle still slightly jiggly.

5. Whip the remaining cream in your pre-chilled bowl until you have soft peaks and set in the fridge until ready to serve.

6. Remove the ramekins from the baking dish and let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge to cool for one hour. When ready to serve, divide the whipped cream among the ramekins.