Bean

Petits Pots de Crème au Chocolat

August 20, 2018
4
5 Ratings
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 45 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

This recipe is featured in the story, How 3 Culinary School Grads Found Success Outside of a Restaurant Kitchen, sponsored by Le Cordon Bleu.

Quality ingredients are the showcase of this dreamy, velvety custard that's actually pretty easy to make at home. The best part? There are endless ways to experiment with the garnishes and flavorings. Pair it with seasonal fruit, like chopped raspberries, or toppings like pistachio, coconut flakes, or chocolate shavings. —Sally Frey

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/3 cup whipped cream
  • 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 1 egg
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • Whipped cream and grated chocolate, to serve
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the milk, cream, chocolate and vanilla bean in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, cream the egg, egg yolks, and sugar together until thick and light. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and stir to blend. Strain into a large liquid measuring cup and discard the vanilla bean. Remove any froth by skimming across the top with a metal spoon.
  2. Pour the mixture into six 1/3-cup ceramic pots or espresso cups, filling them up to the top. Set the pots in a baking dish and pour in enough hot water to come up to about 1/2 inch below their rims. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the surface of the custard feels elastic when you touch it with your finger, and your finger comes away clean. If this is not the case, continue to cook for a little while longer.
  3. Remove the pots from the water bath and allow to cool. Once the pots are cold, place the whipped cream in a pastry bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle. Pipe rosettes of whipped cream onto the top of the post and sprinkle with a little grated chocolate to serve. Top with optional garnishes, as you wish.

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1 Review

FrugalCat September 4, 2018
I make something similar and use a little dark rum (cut down the milk by volume, usually about a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup). Top with unsweetened whipped cream. This always looks and tastes impressive. Plus it is easy to make ahead of time.