Vanilla Pots De Creme With Chocolate Sauce Recipes

VANILLA POT DE CREME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the sticky seeds inside. Add the seeds and the shell to the cream. Heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until pale and light, about 2 minutes.
• Add the vanilla extract to the hot cream. Remove and discard the shell of the vanilla bean. Whisking constantly, drizzle the hot cream into the egg yolks.
• Divide the custard among 4 ramekins. Place ramekins into a square baking dish. Pull out the rack of the oven and set the baking dish on it. Pour boiling water into baking dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully slide the rack back into the oven and close the door; bake 30 minutes, until the center of each ramekin is barely set and wiggles slightly when shaken.
• Carefully move the baking dish to a rack and allow custards to cool to room temperature in the water bath. Cover each ramekin with plastic rap and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold with a dollop of barely-sweetened whipped cream.

VANILLA POTS DE CREME WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. To make the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream. Coat the bottom of 6 6-ounce ramekins or pots de creme cups with the chocolate sauce and set aside.
• To make the custard, place the milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk and add the pod. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, cover, remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar until thick and pale yellow. Stirring constantly, whisk the warm milk into the yolks. Add the salt and strain the mixture into a bowl. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes and skim the foam from the top.
• Ladle the custard into the chocolate-lined molds and place them in a deep baking pan. Pour enough hot water in the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, and cover the baking pan with aluminum foil. Bake until the pots de creme are just set (they will tremble slightly in the center when shaken) and a small knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
• Remove the molds from the water and let cool. Serve the pots de creme in the molds, warm or chilled.

VANILLA POT DE CRèME WITH CHOCOLATE SABLéS

Steps:

• Combine the milk and cream in a medium pot. Split the vanilla beans in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and pulp with a paring knife, and add them to the pot. Add the vanilla pods. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the flavors infuse for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar at high speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. When you lift the whisk attachment, the mixture should form ribbons as it falls from the whisk. Bring the milk and cream back to a boil, and then turn off the heat. With the mixer at low speed, add the hot cream slowly, 1/4 cup at a time, to temper the eggs. When half the cream has been incorporated, you can add the rest more quickly. Strain the mixture, and let sit for 20 minutes. Skim all traces of foam from the cream.
• Pour the mixture into six coffee cups or ramekins. Place in a roasting pan, and pour hot water into the pan to come halfway up the outsides of the cups. Cover completely with foil, and bake in the oven about 30 minutes, until the custard is just set.
• Chill at least 4 hours. Serve the pots de crème on pretty napkins set on dessert plates with the cookies next to them.
• Chocolate Sablés
• Sift the flour and cocoa powder together. Add the salt.
• In the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar at medium-high speed 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the yolk and coffee extract, and beat until fluffy again. Add the dry ingredients slowly, and mix at low speed. The dough should be crumbly and not quite bound together. Right before the dough comes together, add the chocolate shards and mix for a second, just to incorporate.
• Shape the dough into logs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll the logs in the granulated sugar, and wrap each one in plastic. Refrigerate until very cold and firm.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Slice the dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and place them 1/2 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until set. (They will seem a little underbaked because of the chocolate shards.)
• Note
• The pots de crème should be served very cold so make sure to allow 4 hours in the refrigerator.