Chocolate Pots de Crème

If you’re looking for a delicious and deceptively simple dessert, or are searching for a way to use up your egg yolks after making the Granola Bites on the blog, then look no further!

These are rich, decadent and wonderful. I made them 4 nights in a row when recipe testing, followed by daily requests for more from my children.

You can eat them from the fridge – they are dense and creamy, but somehow the chocolate tastes deeper, darker and more sophisticated when warm.

Either way, they’re good!

Chocolate Pots de Crème
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
150g good quality dark chocolate, chopped
300g double cream
80ml milk
Pinch of sea salt
4 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons light soft brown sugar
To serve: whipped cream, chocolate shavings or fresh berries (optional)

Ramekins with approximately 120ml capacity. Adjust the baking time and quantities if
larger/smaller.

Method
• Preheat the oven to 160C.
• Place the chocolate, cream, milk and salt in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir continuously until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling.
• In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks together. Add the sugar and whisk again. Very gradually add the hot chocolate mixture while whisking. A folded tea towel under the bowl will stop it slipping.
• Place the ramekins in a roasting pan or deep-sided tray and divide the custard mixture between them. Place the tray in the oven, very carefully pour hot water into the tray to reach halfway up the ramekins. Place in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the edges are set but there is still a slight wobble when you move them.
• Carefully remove from the oven, take the ramekins out of the tray using oven gloves and place on a cooling rack.
• Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, chocolate shavings or fresh berries if you like.

NOTES:
Cooking time will vary depending on the capacity of your ramekins.
Keep leftovers in the fridge.

I’ve made these with semi-skimmed milk instead of cream, and they work. Cream gives them a luxurious, silky touch that is missing with the milk, but if that’s all you have they’re still pretty tasty (and rich!) with milk.