Pots De Crème

Pots de crème is a rich dark chocolate custard that’s quick, easy to make, and impressive to serve for any occasion. This recipe has a deep chocolatey flavor enhanced with espresso powder and a drop of Kahlua. Make these chocolate pots de creme for a chocolate dessert that’s a step above.

Chocolate Pots de creme may sound like a sophisticated French dessert requiring a pastry pedigree fro Le Cordon Bleu, but in its most basic form, it’s a simple baked custard. That’s not to say it isn’t rich, luscious and decadent. It is.

Pots de crème (literally pots of cream) is the perfect creamy, rich chocolate indulgence for dinner parties large and small. One spoonful and you’ll be hooked.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• My pot de crème recipe is sweet but not cloyingly so. The flavors are balanced and refined.
• It only takes about 20 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes to bake.
• You can make the pots de creme recipe a day or two ahead.
• It’s an elegant dessert for special occasions like Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day.
• It’s made with good quality dark chocolate and enriched with espresso and Kahlua.
• You can make them in ramekins or other heat-safe baking dishes.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Combine the espresso powder and Kahlua and stir until the espresso is dissolved.
2. Heat the whipping cream, milk and sugar over medium high heat just until it starts to boil and quickly remove it from the heat.
3. Stir the coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and the espresso mixture into the hot cream mixture and stir until dissolved.
4. Whisk the egg yolks together and add the ⅓-½ cup of the hot cream mixture, one tablespoon at a time to temper the yolks.
5. Add the egg yolk mixture back to the chocolate cream and whisk to blend.
6. Pour the pots de creme through a fine mesh strainer to remove any denatured proteins or imperfections.
7. Divide the chocolate pots de creme mixture between ½ cup ramekins or other heat safe baking dishes and fill them most of the way.
8. Transfer the pots de creme to a baking or roasting pan with sides at least 2″ high and place on the middle rack of a preheated 350° oven.
9. Pour enough hot water into the aluminum baking pan to come halfway up the sides of your baking dishes.
10. Bake until the chocolate pots de creme are set but slightly jiggly in the center.
11. Carefully remove the pots de creme and cool to room temperature. Cover each and refrigerate until chilled, for several hours or overnight.
12. Serve with whipped cream, dragées or a coffee bean garnish or the garnish of your choice.

For the water bath (bain marie), you can heat water to a simmer over medium heat, microwave it until hot or use your hottest tap water.

Pro-tips:

• I use good quality 4-ounce chocolate bars, but you can also use good quality chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli.
• Though it may seem like an unnecessary extra step, straining the chocolate custard will ensure a silky texture. Don’t skip it.
• To save time, I use a small mesh strainer and pour the pots de creme custard directly through the strainer and into the ramekins or custard cups instead of straining the entire recipe into another bowl.
• Most chocolate pots de creme recipes bake off the custard in standard half-cup ramekins, but I like to mix it up. I used my picardie glasses to give this a more “French” feel. I even used some tiny picardie glasses that made beautiful little “shot glass” versions of this dessert, perfect for parties.
• The custards need to chill for at least two hours to set, but also because these chocolate pots de creme are best eaten with a slight chill. Remove them from the refrigerator for at least 10-15 minutes before enjoying.

Variations:

Use other liqueur to give the chocolate pots de creme a different flavor profile

• Swap the Kahlua-espresso mixture for Grand Marnier or Cointreau with the dark chocolate pots de creme. Garnish with candied orange peel.
• Or use Frangelico or Amaretto to give it a nutty flavor. Garnish with candied hazelnuts or almonds.
• Swap out the coffee flavorings with a teaspoon of peppermint extract and garnish with whipped cream and an Andes mint.
• Give the chocolate pots de creme a berry essence by using Creme de Cassis instead of the Kahlua.
• You can also skip the liqueur as flavoring and just use a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• For a sweeter chocolate flavor, you can swap the bittersweet chocolate for milk chocolate.

Storage:

Keep the pots de creme tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not garnish the baked chocolate custards until you’re ready to serve as whipped cream will weep and sprinkles can bleed their color.

Freezing:

Unfortunately, this custard doesn’t do well in the freezer, so that’s not an option for prolonging its shelf-life.

Optional Garnishes

To me, these chocolate baked custards just scream for a dollop of whipped cream at the very least. To make it more special and festive, I recommend flavoring your whipped cream with a bit of the same Kahlua you used in the pots de creme recipe. I’ve given instructions in the recipe card below.

From there, you can decorate as you see fit.  

• A coffee bean on top hints at the flavor profile of the dessert.
• Nonpareils are another option—Red for Valentine’s Day or Christmas, white for New Year’s Eve or an Anniversary celebration.  Wait until the last minute if you’re garnishing with colored nonpareils, as they will bleed into the whipped topping if it sits for too long.
• Chocolate shavings or curls would be festive.
• A cherry (or chocolate covered cherry) makes a classic garnish for your baked pots de creme.

FAQs:

What to serve with pots de crème

• Espresso or Cafe Au Lait
• A snifter of brandy or cognac
• An after-dinner liqueur or cordial, such as sambuca, amaretto, or frangelico.
• A good sipping bourbon, rum or tequila.

More puddings, custards and mousses you’ll love:

• Chocolate Mousse
• Peach Panna Cotta
• Banana Pudding Parfait
• Pumpkin Custard Brûlée
• Coconut Rum Pudding