Pots de crème is a wonderfully silky, cream custard dessert bursting with flavor. It can be made with a vanilla or chocolate base but chocolate is generally the favorite. It’s a bit like eating a chocolate truffle in a cup.
According to one website that specializes in information and products for making pots de creme (site is listed under "related links"), the definition of pots de crème is this:
“Pots de Creme refers to both the custard dessert as well as the small lidded pots this dessert is served in. Pot de creme, or pot-au-creme translates from French to English as "pot of cream".
The best thing is it is an elegant and fairly easy dessert for dinner parties. Each guest has their own served in little cups or dishes. You can also use miniature pottery coffee cups if they can withstand the heat of the oven.
Decorate with whipped cream and chocolate curls made by shaving chocolate with a vegetable peeler. I use a milk chocolate bar and run the peeler down the sides to shave curls of chocolate.
This is a recipe made for romance, a perfect ending to dinner. That is why Pots de crème is often served on Valentines Day. I like to decorate with whipped cream and a Godiva Chocolate heart or little hearts made by piping melted chocolate into a heart shape onto parchment paper and letting cool several hours until hardened. (watch for my valentines dessert)
I alway encourage experimentation with cooking. You can alter this recipe by adding different spices. For instance, if you leave out the coffee granules you might add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or 1 tsp of almond flavoring. You could even seperate the mixture and make one of each flavor so all guest could try a bite and pass it around!
PLEASE, experiment on guests. There is nothing more fun, in my opinion, than calling some friends and saying "I feel like experimenting with cooking...will you come?" They'll love you for it, and if it doesn't work out to be the most fabulous dish ever, they will still love the fact that they got to be part of the experiment!
The way I conduct experiments is to always include at least 2 tried and true recipes with 1 or 2 brand new recipes. That way, I'm sure there will be something that most of my friends will like, even if my experiment doesn't work out as I'd hoped. As long as you tell them ahead of time that it's a brand new, experimental recipe everyone will relax and you can too!
I've even gone so far as to have my guest get involved in the preparation or cooking of my experimental dish. One night I had 3 of my 6 guests help me cut and fold parchment paper around fish and vegetables, sealing in the juices and flavor for baking. The next day I got two calls thanking me for the great fun and learning experience!
This one is fairly simple and there are no surprises, so you can make it ahead AND serve with confidence!!
MOCHA POTS DE CREME RECIPE
1/ ½ cups heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 egg yolks
2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp pure Vanilla extract
Prepare 8 small or 6 medium size ramkins by placing in a shallow baking pan or the bottom of a broiler pan. Set the oven temperature at 300 degrees.
In a small saucepan boil cream, milk and coffee for a minute until coffee is dissolved. In another bowl place chopped chocolate and pour hot cream mixture over. Let the hot mixture sit for 2 minutes and then stir to melt and blend the chocolate.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until well blended. Add vanilla.
Slowly pour warm chocolate cream into egg mixture, whisking until mixture is smooth. Pour mixture through a mesh sieve to cull out any lumps. Next pour or spoon into the ramkins.
Pour hot water into the bottom of the shallow baking pan so it comes about ½ inch up sides of ramkins. Cover the pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil and poke small holes in the foil with an ice pick to allow air holes. Place in oven and bake about 30-35 minutes.
Pots de crème are done when the outside is set and the inside still slightly jiggles. Cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Chill in refrigerator another 5 hours before serving. Pots de crème will keep in the refrigerator up to 4 days so you can make it ahead for a party if you wish. In fact, the flavor combination of chocolate and coffee will mellow into a smooth blend if kept refrigerated over a day.
For those who don't enjoy mocha flavoring, simply leave the instant coffee granules out. It does not affect the consistancy or baking time and will result in a more pure, chocolate taste.
Enjoy!!
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