Dark Chocolate Pots de Crème

Dreamy, silky, creamy, dark chocolate bliss in every bite, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. What more could a bonafide chocolate lover want? This recipe uses a mixture of 72 percent and 60 percent dark chocolate chips for the perfect rich flavor. You just have to experience it to believe it!  And, you can by following this simple recipe! If you love chocolate, like we love chocolate, this will become a staple in your dessert repertoire! We like to make these in demitasse cups, because that is the perfect individual serving portion, even though you’d love to eat more!!! 

My boss actually brought this decadent dessert to a lunch meeting we had one day. What? With an amazing boss, who loved to cook and share her creations, we knew we were in for a treat whenever she called for a meeting! Even though she is no longer with us, her recipe lives on and on and has become a legend in our recipe file! It’s almost like sipping on chocolate, it’s so creamy and divine. 

Chocolate Pots de Crème

We use dark or bittersweet chocolate chips for this recipe and lately, we’ve been using a mixture of half 60% cacao and half 72% cacao. You can use whatever combination of that you like, but be sure the chocolate is at least 54% cacao. Trader Joe’s Bittersweet Chocolate baking bar works well for this too, but it's a little less dark at 54%. If you use a bar instead of chips, just chop it up into smaller pieces before pouring the hot cream over it. 

You can serve these pots de creme all by themselves, or with a dollop of whipped cream and a few chocolate shavings for a fun look. 

Servings 8 2-oz. (or 1/2 cup)

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate chips we use half 60% cacao and half 72% cacao
• ▢ 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
• ▢ 2/3 cup milk
• ▢ 6 large egg yolks
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ A pinch of salt
• ▢ Garnishes: Whipped cream plain with no sugar or flavoring and dark chocolate shavings (shave with a potato peeler)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Spray 8 demitasse cups with Pam. (should hold at least 3 ounces each to give a little room at the top)
• Line a 9x13x2-inch casserole dish with a folded kitchen towel. Set aside.
• Place chocolate in a glass bowl. Bring cream, milk, and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan. Pour over the chocolate in the bowl and whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
• Then add the warm chocolate mixture to the egg mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly until well incorporated. Pour custard through a sieve into a glass container, to eliminate any lumps, and cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Place ramekins on top of the folded towel in the 9×13 baking dish. Divide the chocolate custard evenly between ramekins, then fill the baking pan with water just halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
• Bake until custards are set around the edge, but still a little jiggly in the center, approximately 35 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool, uncovered. 
  
• Chill, covered, for at least three hours or overnight, before serving. Custards will become very firm as they chill. These will store in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, garnish each pot de creme with a dollop of whipped cream and top with chocolate shavings.