First, a little word of advice: this is not for light eaters, so consider yourself warned!
I had made these pot de creme a while back with bittersweet chocolate, but had always wanted to jazz them up a little. Yesterday seemed like the perfect day: it was cold outside and an ideal day to watch chocolate slowly melt. I had bought really good quality milk chocolate, you know the kind that you get in big uneven chunks from specialty stores? The kind that come by weight without any fancy packaging but that tastes like an intense version of chocolate.. and smells like it too? Still in my fleur de sel mood, I added a tad of saltiness to the mix and it added a nice hint of caramel-y flavor.
This really is a rich dessert though – and it can’t be eaten in very large quantities. Although, the one I made for Oliver yesterday was eaten at a steady rate throughout the evening…and the once full little ramekin was found empty by midnight.
Recipe: (for 4)
4 oz good quality milk chocolate, chopped in small pieces
2 egg yolks, beaten lightly with 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar
3/4 cup of whipping cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of Grand Marnier
1/4 teaspoon of Fleur de Sel
Whipped cream
Chocolate Shavings
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Once it has fully melted, add the cream and whisk so that the mixture become a uniform color of brown. Add a small ladle of the chocolate mixture to the beaten eggs and stir to temper the eggs. This ensures that the egg slowly heats up before being added to the heat so it doesn’t curdle. Slowly add the egg mixture to the chocolate and cream mixture and stir with a whisk. Add the vanilla, salt and Grand Marnier. Cook on the double boiler for 3-4 minutes, whisking gently. Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and stain to remove any egg lumps. Transfer to small ramekins or espresso cups and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until set. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and some chocolate shavings. Enjoy!
Enjoy the read!
Deborah
October 31, 2008 at 9:57 am (16 years ago)I love recipes where a little goes a long way. They sound delicious!
Audrey
October 31, 2008 at 10:20 am (16 years ago)Oh, my, those look good…I think I’ll try them in spite of your kind warning. (And I wasn’t able to resist those cups when I saw them, either!)
Anne
October 31, 2008 at 11:51 am (16 years ago)That looks absolutely delicious! The photo is beautiful too!
Lori
October 31, 2008 at 3:18 pm (16 years ago)Love Grand Marnier, put it in anything and it just kicks it up. The chocolate pots de creme look so silky and wonderful!
Maryann
November 1, 2008 at 8:34 am (16 years ago)Simply beautiful 🙂
creampuff
November 1, 2008 at 2:57 pm (16 years ago)Oh my gosh, Jen! I want all of those. It sounds delicious. I’m a major fan of adding a bit of salt to sweet so this is right up my alley. (Something tells me you’re going to enjoy the next DB challenge …)
:o)
Dawn
November 1, 2008 at 5:14 pm (16 years ago)Mmmm grand marnier. that just makes everything sweet even better. perfect photos.
Holler
November 2, 2008 at 6:42 am (16 years ago)These look divine!
dessert girl
November 2, 2008 at 10:35 am (16 years ago)That’s look so good! You can never go wrong with a pot of chocolate! 🙂
Cakebrain
November 2, 2008 at 11:55 am (16 years ago)Mmm! They look so decadent! I love chocolate! I think I could moderate myself if given a little pot of this…maybe. Well, maybe not!
Peter M
November 2, 2008 at 6:26 pm (16 years ago)I would like a cup as my meal replacement…so good.
Cynthia
November 2, 2008 at 6:58 pm (16 years ago)Since I am chocolate lover (I know!), I like that I can look at this and not feel weak because it looks so darn good 🙂
Heather
November 2, 2008 at 9:36 pm (16 years ago)these look utterly delicious! i love rich desserts… they’re so nice to savor (since you can’t eat them quickly 😉 )
beautiful pics!
the italian dish
November 2, 2008 at 10:40 pm (16 years ago)I love it when these are served in little espresso cups – I will have to try your recipe! Beautiful.
Kevin
November 3, 2008 at 10:44 pm (16 years ago)This sounds really good! Nice photo!
Usha
November 11, 2008 at 10:00 pm (15 years ago)Just the description of this desert is making my mouth water, I love all things chocolate and this one sounds like a winner 🙂