Live, Love, & Eat in Sayulita: Chocolate Pots de Crème

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate! Do you know anyone who does not love chocolate? Especially as the finish to a yummy meal? Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, had on line a very easy, very delicious chocolate dessert: Chocolate Pots de Crème. I had always wanted to make it, so one afternoon while searching for a simple dessert to make in my Sayulita kitchen, I decided that since I had all the ingredients on hand, I would give it a try. Pots de crème does not need an oven, so it is the perfect chocolate dessert to make when it gets hot here in Sayulita! And it is feeling really hot these days! I am certain that you will love it as much as we all did! 

INGREDIENTS:

-9 ounces best quality semisweet chocolate (in Mexico called amargo) - chopped

-1&1/2 cups whole milk - I used leche semidescremada deslactosada (lactose free milk), but regular whole milk is also fine

-1 cup whipping cream (crema para batir) available at most tiendas in Sayulita, but it seems Alas Blancas always has it in stock

-6 large egg yolks

-5 T white granulated sugar

-1/4 tsp salt

-1/2 cup whipping cream

-1/2 T granulated sugar 

MAKING THE POTS DE CRÈME:

-Add the chopped chocolate to your blender

-Whisk the milk, 1 cup cream, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat

-Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and is almost boiling. This will take 5-6 minutes.

-Immediately pour the hot cooked milk mixture over the chocolate in the blender

-Put the lid on the blender and hold the lid down with a kitchen towel. Blend until combined and smooth. I had to scrape down the sides a couple of times.

-Pour into your containers of choice - I bought those cute little cups here in Sayulita at the Gypsy Galeria tienda on Calle Marlin. They are the perfect size if you would like a small, but wonderful chocolate hit.

-Refrigerate until set. This will take about 2 hours. Please keep refrigerated until just ready to eat.

-In the meantime, while the pots de crème are chilling, also chill your mixing bowl and beater for whipping the cream

-When ready to serve, Whip the 1⁄2 cup of whipping cream with 1⁄2 T granulated sugar*

*I wanted to stabilize the whipping cream. I googled it and found that adding 1tsp of very softened cream cheese (Philadelphia) when you begin to whip the cream really did help to stabilize it very well...optional

-Top the chilled pots with your whipped cream and indulge! Yummm!

For my next column, I am thinking fish because we are having dorado for dinner tonight. Tune in for Fresh Grilled Dorado with Mango Sauce and Thai Basil Pesto.