Vanilla Pots De Creme With Chocolate Sauce Recipes

EXTRA-BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a heavy saucepan, bring cream and milk to a boil. Remove from heat; whisk in chopped chocolate until smooth.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar and salt. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot chocolate into yolks. Strain through a very fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl.
• Divide mixture among 2- to 4-ounce espresso cups or small ramekins. Set filled cups in a large roasting pan that has been positioned on center rack of oven. Add hot tap water to pan, halfway up sides of cups. Cover pan with foil; use a fork to prick holes in foil.
• Bake until edges are lightly set (lifting foil to check) but center is still jiggly - it will set as it cools - 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer cups to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving with crème fraîche or whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Put the chocolate into a medium bowl. Combine the cream and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds or so to allow the chocolate to melt, then stir together until smooth.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla paste. Slowly stream the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or pitcher, then pour into six 4-ounce ramekins or ceramic cups or bowls.
• Arrange the ramekins in a baking dish or pan and carefully add enough hot water to come about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the pots de creme sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. If they still appear very jiggly in the middle, let them sit for another 5 minutes in the hot water. You want the custards to be very firm around the edges and to barely move toward the center when gently shaken.
• Remove the ramekins from the hot water and let cool in a cool area of the kitchen before serving, or chill to serve cold.

VANILLA POTS DE CREME WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. To make the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream. Coat the bottom of 6 6-ounce ramekins or pots de creme cups with the chocolate sauce and set aside.
• To make the custard, place the milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk and add the pod. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, cover, remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar until thick and pale yellow. Stirring constantly, whisk the warm milk into the yolks. Add the salt and strain the mixture into a bowl. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes and skim the foam from the top.
• Ladle the custard into the chocolate-lined molds and place them in a deep baking pan. Pour enough hot water in the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, and cover the baking pan with aluminum foil. Bake until the pots de creme are just set (they will tremble slightly in the center when shaken) and a small knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
• Remove the molds from the water and let cool. Serve the pots de creme in the molds, warm or chilled.

WHITE CHOCOLATE POTS DU CREME

Steps:

• Combine the cream and milk in a heavy bottom, 2 quart saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Bring the water in a double boiler to a simmer. Place the chocolate in the top half and stir with a rubber spatula until melted. Whisk the egg yolks into the melted chocolate. Slowly pour the boiling cream mixture into the chocolate, whisking constantly. Bring to a temperature of 160 degrees, about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a stainless steel bowl. Cool in an ice bath, stirring constantly with a wire whisk to a temperature of 90 degrees F., about 4 to 5 minutes. Evenly divide the mixture into 8 small pot de creme forms or glass custard cups. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours to set before serving. Spoon the sauce over the top of each pot de creme and serve with the Florentines.
• Remove the seeds from 2 pomegranates and set aside. Remove the seeds from the other 2 pomegranates and place in a small saucepan with the sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Boil until all of the seeds burst and the mixture begins to thicken, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain and allow to cool. Stir in the whole pomegranate seeds.
• Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2000
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla, baking soda and salt and beat until smooth. In a food processor or blender, combine the oats and pecan pieces and pulse several times to grind. Add this to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated. The dough will be stiff and sticky. Drop by the teaspoonful, about 3 inches apart, onto the prepared pan. Flatten the dough slightly with your fingertips. Bake for 6 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and carefully roll the cookies into cylinder shapes-like a cookie cigar while they are still hot. Cool completely on wire racks.

VANILLA POT DE CREME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the sticky seeds inside. Add the seeds and the shell to the cream. Heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until pale and light, about 2 minutes.
• Add the vanilla extract to the hot cream. Remove and discard the shell of the vanilla bean. Whisking constantly, drizzle the hot cream into the egg yolks.
• Divide the custard among 4 ramekins. Place ramekins into a square baking dish. Pull out the rack of the oven and set the baking dish on it. Pour boiling water into baking dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully slide the rack back into the oven and close the door; bake 30 minutes, until the center of each ramekin is barely set and wiggles slightly when shaken.
• Carefully move the baking dish to a rack and allow custards to cool to room temperature in the water bath. Cover each ramekin with plastic rap and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold with a dollop of barely-sweetened whipped cream.

VANILLA CUSTARD OR POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Whisk until just mixed in a medium bowl: 4 egg yolks.
• Measure and pour into a medium bowl: 3/4 cup heavy cream.
• Combine in a small pot: 3/4 cup half-and-half, 1/4 cup sugar, One 2-inch piece of vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped into the pan with the bean.
• Warm just until steaming over medium heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar. When warm, whisk into the egg yolks. Strain this mixture into the cold cream and mix well. Remove the vanilla bean from the strainer and squeeze all the seeds and liquid from it back into the custard mix. The mixture can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the mixture into a 2 1/2-cup custard mold, or into 4 custard cups. Place the mold or cups into a large, deep pan and pour in hot water until it reaches about halfway up the sides. Cover the top of the pan with foil and seal tightly. Bake until the sides of the custards are set but the center is still soft when jiggled, about 50 minutes for the large mold and 25 to 30 minutes for the smaller cups. Remove from the water bath and let cool. Serve warm or cool in the refrigerator.
• Top the cooled custards with a few tablespoons of raspberry purée.
• Stir 2 tablespoons dry Marsala, sherry, or a liqueur into the custard mixture.
• Melt 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate over hot water. Stir the melted chocolate into the hot half-and-half. Stir in the cream and whisk in the egg yolks. Add 1/2 teaspoon brandy or Cognac, if desired.
• For crème brûlée, cool the custards and sprinkle 1 tablespoon white sugar evenly over the top of each custard. With a small handheld propane torch, pass the flame over the sugar to caramelize evenly. Heat until the sugar turns a dark amber brown. Alternatively, caramelize the sugar under a broiler but keep a sharp eye on the custards-they burn easily. Let cool to harden and serve.