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Chocolate Cream Hearts –

Les Coeurs de Crème au Chocolat pour la Saint-Valentin

Chocolate again?  Mais oui!  There can never be enough chocolate!

These little chocolate creams are like thick, 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.  I posted this recipe last year and baked the chocolate creams in ramekins.  Same great flavor.  Different shape.

The texture is like eating a cloud.  The taste?  Heaven on a spoon.

This recipe makes 12 little hearts.  And although it is a small serving, one heart is really all you need.  Unless you are like me and cannot control the urge to eat two.

Please note:  There are many chocolate cream or Pots de Crème recipes 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.  Remove any skin that may form on the milk as that will make the pudding lumpy.

Stir the chocolate into the milk.

Stir…isn’t it pretty?

Stir…until completely blended.

Add the cream, stir, and set aside to cool.

Separate the eggs.  I had to scoop the yolks out of the bowl, because on the last one, I was daydreaming about Paris 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.  I made mine with cheddar cheese and mushrooms, and topped it with salsa.  What’s your favorite omelette?

Divide the chocolate cream evenly among twelve heart-shaped cupcake molds.  These do not puff up when they bake, so what you see is what you get.  If you would like thicker hearts, simply pour more chocolate cream in each heart mold and make six instead of 12.  Again, they are small, but very rich.

Line a baking pan that is large enough to hold the cupcake molds with wax paper.  Cut slits in the wax paper to prevent water from boiling into the cups.

Place the molds in the baking pan, on top of wax paper.  Add enough boiling water to come about halfway up the sides.  Be careful not to get any water inside the molds.

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.  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.

My daughter insisted on red sugar sprinkles on hers.  Enjoy!

~FTW

Chocolate Cream Hearts for Valentine’s Day – Les Coeurs de Crème au Chocolat pour la Saint-Valentin

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

1. Finely chop 3 ounces of bittersweet chocolate.
2. In small sauce pan, scald milk over high heat.  Or microwave milk to boiling.
3. Remove from heat and stir chocolate into milk until melted.
4. Add the cream and stir to blend.  Set aside to cool.
5. In a medium bowl, gently stir together 3 egg yolks and sugar.
6. Slowly pour chocolate mixture into egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly.
7. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, for one hour.
8. Preheat oven to 325°.
9. Cut slits in wax paper and place in baking pan large enough to hold heart molds.
10. Divide chocolate cream into 12 heart molds and place in baking pan.
11. Add boiling water around molds so that it is about halfway up the sides of the cups.
12. Cover loosely with foil.
13. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, so they are set around the edges but may be a bit jiggly in the middle.
14. Remove ramekins from pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
15. Serve chilled, fresh from the refrigerator.