GLUTEN-FREE | GRAIN-FREE
This deep dark chocolate dessert is one of my new favorites.
It calls for just a few ingredients, yet the finished product seems more than the sum of its parts.
Pots de Crème are usually made in advance and served cold, which is perfect for hot weather and convenient for entertaining, but I also like to eat them freshly cooled to room temperature, about an hour or two after they come out of the oven.
Either way, they will be creamy and silky and smooth. At room temperature they have a soft, custard-like consistency. Once chilled, they become a bit thicker.
½ cup whole milk
1½ cups heavy cream
Pinch sea salt
4 oz dark chocolate, 70% or darker, roughly chopped
6 egg yolks
1 tbsp honey (optional)
Preheat the oven to 300F. Place six 6-ounce ramekins or glass cups in a shallow baking dish.
Over low heat, warm the milk and cream in a covered saucepan until hot, just before it boils. Turn off the heat and stir in the chocolate. Cover and set aside.
Heat a pot full of water (tea pots are good choices because they are easy to pour) until boiling. You'll use it for a water bath later.
Add the egg yolks to a large mixing bowl with the honey and sea salt. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Once the chocolate is melted, whisk it until the mixture is smooth. Set it aside to cool slightly.
Add the chocolate to the egg yolks in a slow, gradual stream, whisking continuously. Don't rush this step, or the eggs may scramble.
Once all of the chocolate has been incorporated into the egg yolks and the mixture is smooth, divide it evenly among the ramekins. Pour boiling water around them, enough to come half way up the sides. Take care not to pour any water inside the ramekins. Transfer them to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the custard should be set. Remove the pots de crème from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature.
Eat them within 2 hours or, once cool, cover and transfer them to the fridge until ready to eat.
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