Pot Au Chocolat With Fleur De Sel Recipes

POT AU CHOCOLAT WITH FLEUR DE SEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Bring the whipping cream and milk to a boil in a saucepan over low heat. The second it starts to boil, take it off the heat. Add the chocolate shavings and whisk until smooth. In another bowl, mix together the yolks, brown sugar, and cayenne. Slowly spoon the chocolate mixture into the yolks. Cook's Note: It is important to take your time with this step because the chocolate is hot, and if you dump it into the eggs in one shot you'll end up with chocolate scrambled eggs.
• Pour the mixture into little pots or espresso cups and cover with foil. Pierce some small holes in the foil so steam can escape and place the jars into a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with water halfway up the sides of the jars so that they bake evenly. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool the pots on the counter for 35 minutes and then put them in the refrigerator for 3 hours to chill. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve.

FLEUR DE SEL CARAMELS

Steps:

• Prep the pan.
• Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush the paper lightly with oil.
• Boil the sugar.
• In a deep saucepan (6 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches deep), combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don't stir -- just swirl the pan.
• Heat the cream.
• In the meantime, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter and 1 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• Finish the caramel.
• When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful -- it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.
• Fill the pan.
• Very carefully (it's hot!) pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.
• Cut the caramel.
• When the caramel is cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut the square in half.
• Roll it up.
• Starting with a long side, roll the caramel up tightly into an 8-inch-long log.
• Cut into pieces.
• Sprinkle the log with fleur de sel, trim the ends and cut into 8 pieces. (Start by cutting the log in half, then continue cutting each piece in half until you have 8 equal pieces.) It's easier to cut the caramels if you brush the knife with flavorless oil like corn oil.
• Wrap the candies.
• Cut glassine or parchment paper into 4-by-5-inch pieces and wrap each caramel individually, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.

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 COOKIES WITH FLEUR DE SEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Combine butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well to incorporate each one. Add brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla extract; mix well. Fold in flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. Fold in chocolate chunks.
• Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of cookie dough onto a baking stone or nonstick cookie sheets. Sprinkle fleur de sel over the tops.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies flatten but centers still look soft, 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH FLEUR DE SEL

Steps:

• Create an ice bath in a large bowl using ice and a little cold water. Nestle a smaller bowl in ice bath.
• Place chocolate and 1 cup water in a small pot and heat over medium. Whisk until mixture is melted and smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Immediately pour melted chocolate into the bowl in the ice bath. Vigorously whisk chocolate mixture by hand until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. The chocolate should be fluffy and form a mound when dolloped with the whisk (it should generally have the texture and appearance of mousse). If the mixture does not thicken, add a bit more chopped chocolate and remelt over the heat. Spoon into serving bowls and garnish with fleur de sel.

PETIT POT AU CHOCOLAT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil.
• Warm the cream with the vanilla bean and seeds to just before boiling, whisking to disperse the seeds. Remove from heat, cover and let infuse for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the chocolate in the milk. Beat together the egg yolks and confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla cream and blend thoroughly. Pass through a fine mesh sieve and pour into 4 4-ounce ramekins or 6 3-ounce porcelain espresso cups.
• Place the ramekins in an 8-inch baking pan. Fill the pan with enough hot water to rise halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in the oven until slightly puffed and spongy, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the pan to cool. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Bring back to room temperature before serving.

FLEUR DE SEL CHOCOLATE CHIP BLONDIES

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch jelly roll pan with softened butter or cooking spray.
• Beat your butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until it is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the brown and granulated sugars a little bit at a time, pouring them in on the side of the bowl. While you're adding your sugars, stop the mixer occasionally and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that everything is fully mixed. Cream the butter and sugar mixture until it is light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. (Creaming creates air pockets in the dough, and therefore these blondies have a light and delicate texture.)
• Whisk your flour, baking soda and sea salt, if using, in a bowl. (Add the salt only if desired because there is plenty on top of the finished brownies.) Add your eggs 1 at a time, adding the second only after the first is fully incorporated. Once the second egg is fully incorporated, add your vanilla. Turn your mixer down to low speed and slowly add the flour mixture. Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the wet ingredients, add in all those chocolate chips. Your machine will seem to be struggling to mix in the chocolate chips because there are so many of them, but don't turn it up, leave it on low and allow it to fully mix the chips in. Spread your cookie dough into the prepared jelly roll. Evenly sprinkle the top of the dough with the fleur de sel.
• Pop the blondies in the oven until they are golden brown on top and not wobbly in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the blondies to cool in the pan on a wire rack or on a dishtowel on your counter.
• Cut the blondies, still in the pan, with a sharp knife into bars, about 48 pieces. Remove with a spatula and serve. (Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week, but they will not last that long!)