Classic French Chocolate Pot de Creme Recipe – Postcards from Paris

I once saw a sign in a pastry shop that said, “Life’s uncertain, eat dessert first”.   Maybe that’s why when I sit down at a bistro, I always peak at the dessert section right away, just to make sure that they have my favorite, pot de creme.  Pot de creme is not the only dessert that I order, but it’s definitely my favorite bistro treat.

This creamy confection is  a dessert for chocolate lovers, and not for folks on a diet.    The intense, dark chocolate is only made lighter by adding the whipped cream topping!

I thought that this recipe would be perfect for the Monthly Mingle titled April in Paris that Jamie (Life’s a Feast) is sponsoring this month.  Monthly Mingle is a great get together of posts from bloggers around the world that was started by Metta (What’s for Lunch Honey?).

I have to say, that this is not the easy “blender” version,  but it’s not the difficult “bake in a water bath” version either.  It takes a bit of whisking and stirring, but I think that the result is well worth it, especially on Sunday when I take extra time to make something special for my family and friends.

I realize that many of you do not have access to fancy chocolate such as Valrhona,  so I made this version with what is realistic to find at your market.  If you do have access to gourmet chocolate, please go ahead and use it in this recipe.

I also know that some of you might not have a bain-marie or (double boiler), so do as I do.  I take a large stock pot and fill it about 1/4 with water.  Take a large stainless steel bowl and place it in the pot so that the rim of the bowl sits on the edge of the pot (you don’t want the bowl floating around in the pot).   You now can melt the chocolate slowly over simmering water very easily.  I actually like it better than a double boiler because it’s very easy to whisk the custard into the chocolate.  The chocolate also stays warm this way and does not start to harden like it would if you just melted the chocolate in the microwave.

So, don’t be intimidated by this dessert, it’s really not hard to make something delicious and special for your Sunday supper.

Classic French Chocolate Pot de Creme Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A rich, chocolate dessert perfect for true chocolate lovers!

Ingredients:

6 ounces dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli Premium Baking Bar with 60% cacao - bittersweet chocolate)
1/3 cup cocoa (I used Droste)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar

Directions:

Melt the dark chocolate and cocoa together in either a bain-marie, double boiler, or my preferred method, a large stainless bowl over a stock pot.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the cream and milk together until it is scalding (almost to a boil). Remove from heat. Whisk the cream/milk mixture very slowly into the eggs and sugar. You want to slowly warm the eggs to that they don't cook quickly. Add all of the cream/milk mixture to bowl to incorporate with egg mixture.

Then pour mixture back into the large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes or until the mixture coats the back of the spoon.

Slowly whisk the custard mixture into the melted chocolate.

Pour into 4 individual serving containers.

Cover immediately with plastic wrap so that a film does not form on the top.

Let cool for 10 minutes then refrigerate for a least an hour. May be made days ahead.

Serve with whipped cream and shaved chocolate, if desired.

Enjoy!

Posted in Dessert, Recipes, Travel

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