Ingredients
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10 ounces 60% cacao Bittersweet Chocolate
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1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
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1 tablespoon Water
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½ teaspoon instant Espresso Powder
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5 large Egg
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5 tablespoons (2¼ ounces) Sugar
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¼ teaspoon Salt
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1½ cups heavy Cream
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¾ cup Half-and-Half
Directions
Classic pots de crème are truly decadent, with a satiny texture and intense chocolate flavor. We loved that we could make this impressive dessert up to 3 days ahead. A stovetop custard was easier to make than a baked one, and a combination of heavy cream, half-and-half, and egg yolks gave the right amount of richness and body. Bittersweet chocolate offered bold chocolate flavor. When developing this recipe, we used Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar, which contains about 60 percent cacao. If you want to use a darker chocolate that contains about 70 percent bittersweet chocolate, see our variation, Premium Dark Chocolate Pots de Crème. Serve with Whipped Cream and Chocolate Shavings if desired.
Steps
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1
Done
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Place chocolate in medium bowl and set fine-mesh strainer over top. Combine vanilla, water, and espresso powder in small bowl. |
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2
Done
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Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in bowl until combined. Whisk in cream and half-and-half. Transfer mixture to medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon, until thickened and silky and registers 175 to 180 degrees, 8 to 12 minutes. (Do not let custard overcook or simmer.) |
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3
Done
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Immediately pour custard through fine-mesh strainer over chocolate. Let mixture stand to melt chocolate, about 5 minutes. Add espresso-vanilla mixture and whisk mixture until smooth. Divide mixture evenly among eight 5-ounce ramekins. Gently tap ramekins against counter to remove air bubbles. |
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4
Done
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Let pots de crème cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours. |
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5
Done
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Before serving, let pots de crème stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. |
