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Individual Chocolate Creams –
Petits Pots de Crème au Chocolat
Chocolate again? Mais oui! There can never be enough chocolate!
These little chocolate creams are like chocolate pudding, only better. They should be called chocolate dreams. Rich and delicious. If you’re having a party, they can easily be prepared a day in advance.
Similar to chocolate pudding, but different. You know what it’s like when you taste the Jell-o pudding and it dissolves in your mouth, sort of like water? Not much consistency or texture? Well, the chocolate dreams creams have a wonderful consistency and texture. Thicker than a Jell-o pudding, but not too thick. Texture? Like eating a cloud.
This recipe makes six, 1/2 cup servings. And although it is a small serving, a half cup is really all you need. Decadent.
Please note: There are many chocolate cream or Pots de Crème recipes out there that use raw eggs, and the finished product is not baked, simply mixed and refrigerated. I cannot bring myself to eat foods with raw eggs in them, and for that reason alone, I love this recipe. Well, to be perfectly honest, that’s not the main reason. It’s really about the chocolate. But not eating raw eggs is important to me, too.
Here’s what you’ll need. Plus water and whole milk, which for some reason, did not make it into the picture. Oops.
Chop the chocolate. Cutting big chunks of chocolate into tiny pieces. Bittersweet.
Scald WHOLE milk over high heat. You may microwave the milk to boiling if you prefer. Whichever way you do it, be sure to remove any skin that may form on the milk as that will make the pudding lumpy. I am not even sure if you have to scald milk any longer, except in this recipe, it is necesary to melt the chocolate. In the old days, you had to scald the milk to kill the bacteria, but since everything is now pasteurized, is scalding milk even necessary?
Stir the chocolate into the milk.
Stir…isn’t it pretty?
Stir…until completely blended.
Add the cream and set aside to cool.
Separate the eggs. I had to scoop the yolks out of the bowl, because on the last one, I forgot what I was doing and put the whole egg in. Continue to do as I say, not as I do.
In a medium-sized bowl, gently stir together the egg yolks and the sugar. Do not beat them or make them foamy. Simply stir.
Check the chocolate mixture and as long as it is room temperature or close to it, slowly pour it into the egg yolk mixture.
Stir together and let rest, uncovered, for one hour.
Now, use your egg whites and go make yourself a nice egg-white omelette while you’re waiting.
Divide the chocolate cream evenly among six ramekins or other small, ovenproof dishes.
Line a baking pan that is large enough to hold the ramekins with wax paper. Cut slits in the wax paper to prevent water from boiling into the cups.
Place the ramekins in the baking pan, on top of wax paper. Add enough boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Do not get any water in the cream cups.
Cover pan loosely with foil and bake. Someone should clean this oven. Self-cleaning oven, but you still have to push the buttons. I will get right on that tomorrow. After the laundry.
Out of the oven and into the refrigerator.
Serve chilled. Heaven on a spoon. You may top them with whipped cream – whip 1/2 cup of heavy cream with 1/2 tablespoon of sugar – but I like them plain, unadorned, straight chocolate. Enjoy!
Bebe
Individual Chocolate Creams – Petits Pots de Crème au Chocolat
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 ounces good, bittersweet chocolate
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup sugar
- Boiling water
Directions
- Finely chop 3 ounces of bittersweet chocolate.
- In small sauce pan, scald milk over high heat. Or microwave milk to boiling.
- Remove from heat and stir chocolate into milk until melted.
- Add the cream and stir to blend. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, gently stir together 3 egg yolks and sugar.
- Slowly pour chocolate mixture into egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly.
- Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Cut slits in wax paper and place in baking pan large enough to hold ramekins.
- Divide chocolate cream into six ramekins and place in baking pan.
- Add boiling water around ramekins so that it is about halfway up the sides of the cups.
- Cover loosely with foil.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, so they are set around the edges but may be a bit jiggly in the middle.
- Remove ramekins from pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Serve chilled, fresh from the refrigerator.
French Twisted Woman 
Such true words – “There can never be enough chocolate!” 🙂 I’ve always thought I needed to try my hand at making Pots de Crème au Chocolat. This recipe looks delicious! I may have to try it out this weekend… Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
I hope you like it, too. It’s a little more work than pudding from a box, but there’s no comparison. If I could get over the thought of eating raw eggs, as I mentioned, there are a lot of very simple recipes where you put all of the ingredients in the blender, then chill and eat. But mentally, I just can’t do the raw eggs. If you ever try one of those raw egg recipes, let me know how you like it. Merci!
I have similar raw egg issues (unless there is cookie dough involved when I seem to conveniently forget)… lol! However, if I ever try one I will definitely come and report back! 🙂
Yes, chocolate chip cookie dough is the best. I refrigerate it overnight prior to eating and convince myself that somehow, the refrigeration has killed the salmonella! Growing up, we always licked the spoons and the bowls and the beaters from the mixer when my mother baked cakes or brownies, and fortunately, we survived. (I have an egg nog issue as well.)
lol! Oddly enough, I understand your issues! (although I don’t drink egg nog, so I don’t have to worry about that…)
My mother warned me of the dangers of not cooking eggs, however, I do like fresh, brown farm eggs fried, over easy. It’s the cold, raw, ones
I don’t care for. I think it goes back to seeing the first Rocky film, where he is in training and drinks a glass of five raw eggs. Sorry, but yuck! I can still remember the gagging sensation I had while watching that scene in the movie. I just watched it again on youtube and it still makes me gag.
You can’t become more French then this .. at least not when it’s about desserts.
Somebody has said – that if there is no chocolate in heaven, I’m not going .. must have been a Frenchman. *smile
There is an other saying too – forget falling in love .. let me fall into chocolate.
I like both of those sayings. Let me fall into chocolate! Thanks for sharing the quotes about chocolate. They’re lovely. Merci!
oh my god i love french cuisine. this is making me drool!!!
Yes, I have to admit that I have issues with these. I scooped a spoonful out of one before breakfast this morning and another spoonful before lunch. It’s a problem. I like flavor, but the texture of food is important to me, too. This is cold, and not airy like Cool Whip and not watery like Jell-o pudding, but thick, creamy, and perfect. If you can’t tell, I absolutely love these! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. Merci!
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Your just to funny, I don’t even eat loose, over easy, anything not completely cook eggs. My husband would say meat as well. This looks so wonderful, can’t wait to try, Thank You
I hope you tried it and liked it. No.Raw.Eggs.Ever. Just thinking about the scene in the Rocky movie where he drinks the glass of raw eggs makes me gag! I can’t make it through this one-minute clip. I have to close the window. Merci!