Dark and Spicy Chocolate Pots de Crème
Mexican-inspired chocolate baked custards.
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 300 ml double cream reserve 50ml for cream topping
- 125 ml milk
- 75 g quality dark chocolate minimum 70% cocoa solids
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground dried chillies
- 1 tbsp icing sugar for cream topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150oC and have ready 4 ramekins and a roasting tin.
- Sift caster sugar and whisk together with the egg yolks until frothy.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a saucepan with 250ml of the cream, all the milk and the spices. Set over a low heat and stir continuously until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is warmed through. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Boil the kettle.
- Give the egg mixture another whisk, then pour in a small amount of the cream mixture, whisking all the time. Slowly add the rest of the cream mixture, continuing to whisk.
- Pour the mixture into a jug, then fill each ramekin.
- Place ramekins into the roasting tin and carefully pour the hot, just boiled water from the kettle into the tin around the ramekins. Fill to about halfway up the ramekins - this will ensure an even bake.
- Put into the center of the oven and bake for about 45 mins, or until the custards are set but still with a jiggle. The centers will continue to set as they cool.
- Remove from oven and transfer ramekins onto a wire rack to cool.
- Place in fridge to chill and set completely for 1-2 hours or overnight.
- Before serving, make the cream topping by whipping the remaining 50ml of cream with 1 tbsp of icing sugar.
- Spoon onto the custards, then sprinkle with ginger and finely chopped flakes of dark chocolate.
- Grab a spoon - or if you have great restraint, save until after the main course.
Notes
- Pots de crème are more forgiving to make than you might imagine: you can open the oven to check on them during the baking time and they will be perfectly alright. However, if you want no-bake chocolate pots de crème, you can try sous vide technique with sous vide machine.
- To preserve chocolate pots de crème, securely seal them and store them in the refrigerator for a maximum of three days. Freezing this delicate dessert is not advisable, as this can compromise its exquisite texture and flavor.
- To make vegan chocolate pots de creme, use coconut oil instead of egg york to aid in solidifying the dessert while it chills in the refrigerator.
- While chocolate is a popular flavor for pots de crème, there are numerous variations to explore. You can create your recipe with coffee-infused pots de crème, caramel pots de crème, or even fruit-flavored versions with the addition of ingredients like chocolate orange pots de crème.