The Creme should have an accent over the first e, but just ask me if I know how to do that. This was a recipe I’d pulled out of my America’s Test Kitchen magazine in 2008. That was before I even got married! I love that about food – this recipe is just as relevant today as it was then. It’s easy, it’s gluten free, and it’s a show-stopper.
For a little background, I made this on a Friday – second Friday in a row that we were housebound due to illness (the kids, not me). I rarely let food go to waste, especially a treat like this, and luckily I have the best neighbor in the world who puts up with my cooking endeavors. She was having guests over and I asked her if she’d take a few “pots” for her dessert. She said they loved it, and at our “Friday night in” at my house, the remaining desserts vanished before 8 o’clock. For the 15 minutes of work this dessert takes, I’d say it was more than worth it.
It’s “make ahead” up to 72 hours, which is amazing, though I wouldn’t top it with whipped cream until a few hours before. I learned how to stabilize whipped cream using gelatin but that’s not needed here – it takes less than five minutes to whip the cream so if serving to guests, top the pots with the whipped cream and chocolate shavings right before they arrive- will hold fine in the fridge (uncovered) until it’s time for dessert. How do you make chocolate shavings? Use your vegetable peeler to “peel” a chocolate bar. I used Hershey’s since we had some leftover from s’mores.
Easy Chocolate Pots do Creme
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, serves 8
10 oz. (about two cups) Ghirardelli Bittersweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. half and half
5 large egg yolks
5 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder mixed with 1 tbsp. water
Whipped cream
1/2 c. heavy cream, chilled
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder for garnish (optional)
- Place chocolate in glass mixing bowl. Set a fine-mesh sieve over top of bowl.
- Whisk heavy cream, half and half, yolks, sugar, and salt together in a medium saucepan set over medium low heat.
- Whisk constantly, scraping bottom of the pan as it cooks until mixture thickens slightly and reads on an instant meat thermometer 175 to 180 degrees.
- Immediately pour into sieve over chocolate, pressing through with a rubber spatula as necessary. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Stir or whisk until smooth. Add in vanilla and espresso mixture.
- Pour into 8 ramekins or small glass bowls. Cover and let set 4 hours (or up to 72 hours). Let stand 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
- To whip cream, beat place cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bottom of a bowl. Beat with whisk attachment on medium high speed until soft peaks form. Place 1-2 tbsp. cream on each pot and top with optional cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.
