Mocha Pots de Crème

Many Parisian bistros offer three-course prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner, and I have seen pots de crème on almost all of the menus as the dessert. Pots de Crème are the French version of pudding cups. They are actually more creamy and mousse-like than what we in America classify as pudding, though.

I remembered this recipe as one I have wanted to try for a long time now. Since I am in Paris-mode now, I figured, "What better recipe to make to celebrate my pending arrival in France?"

These are fantastic. Actually, they are utterly sinful. The perfect balance of chocolate and espresso is evident in this delicious dessert. The chocolate is really enhanced by the espresso powder. One bite you taste chocolate. The next bite you taste espresso. These are very rich and indulgent yet they are not overly sweet. Make sure to use quality chocolate for best taste. I used Valrhona.

These would best be served after a light meal or shared with somebody after a heavy meal.

I am sharing these with my neighbor Chris for watching my car and apartment while I'm in France. He's a self-proclaimed chocoholic, so I know he will be happy to see me with five mocha pots de crème in hand later this afternoon.

Mocha Pots de Crème

Source: Adapted from Atlanta Cooks At Home

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
5 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 T. instant espresso powder
5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of fine sea salt
Approximately 4-6 c. of boiling water to create a bain marie (water bath)

Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Place six (6 oz.) ramekins in a medium roasting pan and set aside. Begin boiling water for a bain marie.

In a medium saucepan, combine cream, milk, chocolate and espresso powder over medium heat. Bring almost to a simmer and remove from heat. Set aside, stirring occasionally until chocolate is almost completely melted.

In a 1-quart measuring cup, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. While whisking, add a little of the hot milk mixture to temper. Add the remaining mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in the vanilla and salt.

Pour approximately 1/2 cup of the egg mixture into each ramekin. Cover each of the ramekins tightly with aluminum foil to prevent a skin from forming. Fill pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides. (This is the bain marie.) Carefully transfer the roasting pan to the oven. Bake until the custards are set in the center. 35-40 minutes.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Remove the pots from the water and place on a wire rack to cool, about 30 minutes; transfer to fridge to cool completely, preferably overnight.

To serve, top with whipped cream (if desired).

Got chocolate?

If your name is Willy Wonka or you just happen to have a lot of chocolate in your pantry, have I got the ideal cookie recipe for you!!! There is 1-1/3 pounds of chocolate in this recipe. Yes, you heard me right...a whopping 1-1/3 pounds. I take no responsibility whatsoever for any cavities, break-outs or gained pounds should you decide to make these cookies.

I used quality ingedients...Ghirardelli chocolate, Plugra butter, King Arthur Flour espresso powder and Nielsen-Massey Mexican pure vanilla extract. These cookies are crackly on the outside and chewy on the inside just like a perfect brownie should be yet conveniently formed into individual cookies. The espresso powder brings out the depth of the chocolate flavor and the Mexican vanilla extract adds a creamy, spicy flavor. (FYI...Mexican vanilla extract is best used in recipes containing chocolate and/or cinnamon.) A little bit of chocolate goes a long way for me, as I am not a self-proclaimed chocoholic, but these are superb; however, one cookie was more than enough for me. They're rich but not overly sweet. Next time your sweet tooth can't decide between baking cookies or brownies, make these as they're sure to satisfy your craving for both.

Triple-Chocolate Cookies

Source: Adapted from Cook’s Country, June/July 2005

Makes 26 cookies

The key to the fudgy texture of these cookies is letting them cool directly on the baking sheets. Avoid using bittersweet bar chocolate – the cookies will be too rich and won’t hold their shape.

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 ½ cups bittersweet chocolate chips
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Melt unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chips, and butter in heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water, stirring frequently, until completely smooth and glossy. Remove bowl from pan and set aside to cool slightly.

Stir coffee powder and vanilla extract together in small bowl until dissolved. Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium-high speed until very thick and pale, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla-coffee mixture and beat until incorporated, 20 seconds. Reduce speed to low, add chocolate mixture, and mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Using large rubber spatula, fold flour mixture and semisweet chips into batter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes until batter firms up (it will more closely resemble thick brownie batter than cookie dough).

Meanwhile, adjust two oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 1 heaping tablespoon batter per cookie, place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are shiny and cracked on top, 11 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking time. Transfer baking sheets to racks and cool cookies completely, on baking sheets, before serving.

Additional notes: I got 36 cookies from this recipe. The batter thickens the longer it sits. I actually think the second batch of cookies I made was better than the first batch because the batter was stiffer. You definitely need to use a cookie scoop for this recipe.