Chocolate Pots De Crème Cooking For 2 Recipes

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Place the chocolate in a blender. Whisk the milk, 1 cup cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar and salt in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula and almost boiling, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Immediately pour the milk mixture over the chocolate in the blender. Cover and hold the lid with a thick kitchen towel; blend until combined and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. Divide the chocolate mixture among ramekins or small cups and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
• Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream and the confectioners' sugar with a mixer or in the blender until soft peaks form. Top the chilled pots de creme with whipped cream.

POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Place the chocolate in a blender. Whisk the milk, 1 cup cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar and salt in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula and almost boiling, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Immediately pour the milk mixture over the chocolate in the blender. Cover and hold the lid with a thick kitchen towel; blend until combined and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. Divide the chocolate mixture among ramekins or small cups and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
• Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream and the confectioners' sugar with a mixer or in the blender until soft peaks form. Top the chilled pots de creme with whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRèME (COOKING FOR 2)

Steps:

• Place chocolate chips, sugar, salt and vanilla in blender.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave whipping cream uncovered on High, in 20-second increments, 1 to 2 minutes or until cream begins to boil. Pour hot cream into blender; cover and blend until smooth.
• Pour chocolate mixture into 2 small dessert bowls. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours until set and cold. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls.

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring cream and milk just to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk yolks and sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Strain mixture into another bowl. Cool 10 minutes, skimming any foam from surface.
• Divide custard mixture among six 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Cover each with foil. Place cups in large baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are set but centers still move slightly when gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Remove from water. Remove foil. Chill custards until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bring half-and-half just to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate and sugar. Let stand 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, stir together yolks, vanilla, cocoa, salt, and liqueur if desired. With a fork, stir chocolate mixture until smooth, then gradually stir into yolk mixture. Pour through a fine sieve into a glass measuring cup.
• Place 4 custard cups or ramekins (3 to 4 ounces each) in a shallow roasting pan, and divide chocolate mixture among them. Pour hot water into the pan so it reaches halfway up the sides of cups.
• Bake until custards are almost set in centers, about 30 minutes (custards will firm as they cool). Carefully remove cups from hot-water bath; let cool slightly.
• Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate. Just before serving, dollop with whipped cream, if desired.

EASY POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Combine egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add heavy cream and half-and-half; blend again. Add chocolate and vanilla extract and blend until chocolate is very finely chopped. Carefully pour hot coffee through the opening while blender is running; blend until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Pour mixture into small serving dishes. Let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.

EXTRA-BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a heavy saucepan, bring cream and milk to a boil. Remove from heat; whisk in chopped chocolate until smooth.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar and salt. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot chocolate into yolks. Strain through a very fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl.
• Divide mixture among 2- to 4-ounce espresso cups or small ramekins. Set filled cups in a large roasting pan that has been positioned on center rack of oven. Add hot tap water to pan, halfway up sides of cups. Cover pan with foil; use a fork to prick holes in foil.
• Bake until edges are lightly set (lifting foil to check) but center is still jiggly - it will set as it cools - 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer cups to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving with crème fraîche or whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bring 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cream, the espresso, and vanilla to a simmer; pour over chocolate in a medium bowl. Let sit for 3 minutes; whisk until smooth.
• In another medium bowl, whisk together egg yolk, sugar, and a pinch of coarse salt; add warm chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Strain custard through a fine sieve into a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Place 2 teacups in the center of a baking dish. Divide custard between cups, and fill pan with enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the teacups. Cover tightly with foil; poke several holes in foil. Bake until custard is set around edges but wobbly in center, about 25 minutes.
• Remove cups from water bath, and let custards cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days. Before serving, whisk remaining 2 tablespoons cream to soft peaks, and dollop over pots de creme.

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• In a small nonmetal bowl stir together light cream, chopped chocolate, sugar and salt.
• Micro-cook, uncovered, on 100% power about 1 minute or till chocolate is melted, stirring after 30 seconds.
• Stir about HALF of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolk.
• Return all to the bowl, mixing well.
• Micro-cook, uncovered, on 50% power for 1 to 2 minutes or till thickened, stirring every 15 seconds.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Pour into pot de creme cup or 6 ounce custard cup.
• Cover and chill for several hours or till firm.
• Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.
• NOTE:
• SELECTING THE RIGHT CHOCOLATE: You'll find three basic types of chocolate in the baking supplies department of most supermarkets-- semisweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and sweet chocolate.
• The semisweet chocolate is made from chocolate that is just slight sweetened with sugar.
• Unsweetened chocolate is the original baking or cooking chocolate and has no added flavorings or sugar.
• And sweet chocolate, such as the German cooking chocolate used in the Chocolate Pots de Creme recipe, is chocolate mixed with sugar and sometimes additional cocoa butter or flavorings.

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.
• Combine the cream, half-and-half, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a medium saucepan and put over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until it starts to approach a simmer, about 4 minutes-you'll know it's ready when small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat.
• Combine the egg yolks and the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl, and whisk until combined and smooth. Whisking the eggs constantly, slowly pour in about 1 cup of the milk mixture. Then pour the yolk mixture into the pan, whisking constantly until smooth.
• Put the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the mixture is thick and about the consistency of a pureed soup, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour the cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Then slowly and gently stir with a whisk-try not to incorporate any air. When smooth, add the vanilla extract and stir again to blend. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer into a large-lipped measuring cup.
• Divide evenly into eight 4-ounce cups or ramekins and refrigerate, uncovered. After 2 hours, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours longer.
• To serve, let the ramekins come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) and then top with the whipped cream and shaved chocolate.
• The type of chocolate you use has a significant impact on the flavor and texture of this luscious dessert. With bittersweet chocolate (60 to 65 percent cacao), the pots will be intensely chocolaty and almost truffle-like; using semisweet chocolate (around 52 percent cacao) yields a sweeter, mellower, more pudding-like treat.

NO-BAKE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Have ready six 6-oz (180ml) ramekins (3-1/2" wide by 1-2/3" high) or other cups and make room in the fridge. (Small teacups, demitasse- this is not baked).
• Put the heavy cream in a small saucepan (or microwave in a 4-cup heatproof bowl) and heat just until boiling. Once boiling, slide off the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add the sugar, chopped chocolate, butter, vanilla, and salt and whisk until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool until warm and no longer hot.
• Pour the chocolate cream evenly into the ramekins or cups. Depending on what size cups you are using, they will be filled two-thirds to three-quarters of the way. Set aside until cooled to room temperature. Cover the tops- not the custard surface- with plastic and refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 4 hours.
• Make ahead: The crèmes can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 4 days before serving. Finishing Touches: Serve w/slightly sweetened whipped cream, and a few chocolate shavings.
• Mocha: add 1 tsp instant espresso powder along w/cocoa powder. Add 1 Tbsp dark rum or coffee-flavored liquor along with the vanilla.
• Orange- add 2 tsp finely grated orange zest w/the cocoa powder. Add 1 Tbsp orange-flavored liquor along w/the vanilla. Smooth- strain mixture before adding chocolate. Stronger flavor- heat zest & cream, cover & let sit for 15 minutes. Strain if smooth texture is wanted.