Not merely content with my recent entry of BBQ Chicken Cakes, my overzealous reader Rick requested this pot de creme recipe as well. He wondered if what he had eaten at our house was this Chocolate Mousse, but it was actually something a little bit different, and quite a bit easier. The Mousse is more of a light fluffy suspension enriched by chocolate, whereas the pot de creme is more like pudding.

Usually you have to cook pot de creme in a water bath, which = super pain in my butt. This recipe doesn't require cooking in the oven. Yay! Essentially the way a traditional custard is made thick and custardy is by combining eggs and cream and then heating the eggs to a point at which they thicken but not so hot that they become scrambled. So it's a bit tricky. There are a few different ways to do this. One is to cook the mixture in a low temp oven in a water bath, as in creme brulee or traditional pot de creme. Another is to heat the cream until it's just about to boil, add the eggs and stir the heck out of them over a low flame until they come together.

This way is sort of a quick and dirty way to do it. You heat the cream to a full boil, mix in the yolks, then strain it all to get the scrambly stragglers. So while this is an easy recipe, you can't take shortcuts- straining is non-negotiable in this recipe, or you will have chunks of cooked eggs in what should be a smooth and creamy pudding- and you must bring the cream to a full rolling boil or the eggs will not get hot enough to thicken the mix.

If you're using semi-sweet or dark chocolate make the recipe as written. If you're going to use white chocolate or milk chocolate make it with just a couple tablespoons of sugar instead of 1/3 cup or it will be too sweet.





Chocolate Pot de Creme
This will make 6 portions. I put them in little juice glasses, but a small coffee cup or a ramekin would be A-OK too. I served it with some chocolate turron a friend brought us from Spain.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 1 2/3 cup heavy cream
• big pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 8 egg yolks
• 6-8 ounces chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

Method:

• Combine sugar, half and half, cream, salt, and vanilla in a pot. Bring to a full rolling boil.
• Turn off the heat and whisk in the egg yolks.
• Pour mixture over the chocolate and whisk together. Pour through a fine strainer or chinois into a small pitcher or bowl with a spout.
• Pour into six cups and put into the fridge. They should set within 3-6 hours. Once they are set, cover each one with saran wrap or foil.
• You can make them up to a couple days before you will use them, if they are tightly covered.