Chocolate Pots De Creme Cooks Illustrated 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.

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.

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME - COOKS ILLUSTRATED

Steps:

• 1. Place the chocolate in a large bowl and set aside. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a bowl until smooth. 2. Bring the cream and milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk about 1 cup of the cream mixture into the yolks. Slowly whisk the yolks back into the cream mixture. Return the pan to low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly, just enough to coat the back of a spoon with a thin film, and registers 175 to 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 7 to 9 minutes. 3. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl with the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk the mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the vanilla and then divide evenly among six 6-ounce ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours.