Chocolate Pots de Crème

I remember that one of my final tests in Culinary School was to make a perfect Pot de Crème.  Those little suckers are the moodiest thing on the planet and many things can happen that will impair the desired result: a creamy, flan-like consistency, a delicious cloud of eggy flan, intensely flavored with a deep chocolate aroma.  The things that can go wrong: the water-bath that they cook in boils resulting in the eggs cooking at too high a temperature and curdling, the chocolate is not correctly incorporated in the batter and sinks miserably to the bottom, or the flan is just plain messed up, with a thick crust on the top and a thick consistency that has nothing to do with the original product.

I was extremely sceptical when I tried this recipe, thinking once more that it was a shortcut gimmick that mimicked a beautiful staple of French Cuisine.  Boy, oh boy was I ever wrong!  This is THE easiest dessert on the planet and a 10 years-old can accomplish it to perfection.

This recipe is to put at the top of your list when you have surprise guests and you will almost always have the needed ingredients on hand.  Please give it a try and you will make this recipe more than a few times.

Chocolate Pots de Crème with Whipped Cream

 Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 egg
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (do not replace with other types of chocolate)
• 4 demitasse cups
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Mint sprigs, for garnish, optional  or cloud of cocoa powder

 Instructions

1. Heat milk in a small pan over moderate heat until it comes to a boil.
2. In a blender or a food processor combine egg, a pinch of salt and semisweet chips.
3. Run the processor or turn on the blender to low setting. Pour in boiling milk in a slow stream. The hot milk will cook the egg and melt the chocolate. Process or blend 1 minute, until completely smooth and no trace of unmelted chocolate remains.
4. Spoon the chocolate custard into 4 demitasse cups and chill.  
5. Right before serving, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and beat to combine. Top the chocolate cups with a dollop of cream and garnish each cup with mint sprigs or cocoa powder.
6. Place cups on saucers and serve with demitasse spoons.

If you use teacups, this recipe will yield 2 cups, rather than 4.
If you wish to make more Pots de Crème, do not attempt to double the recipe.  Make one batch and then another one.  Reheat the milk so that it is of boiling temperature otherwise the chocolate will not melt properly and the egg will not be cooked.