05.17.09
A Chocolate Moment…
All photos by Cecilia Lee (cecilia@gourmetsenses.com)
Pots de crème is a classic French custard baked in small pots. Chefs around the world have been wildly inventive with flavoring this silky dessert.
Yesterday, I got some dried organic lavender flowers from Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco. This store to me is like a candy store to kids. No matter how many times I’ve been there, I still get excited and fascinated by new things that I haven’t noticed before. Once I’m there, it’s impossible to leave in less than an hour. With a tiny sac of lavender flowers in my bag and a satisfied grin on my face, I decided to make something classic with an unusual touch. Perhaps I feel like being creative, and perhaps my sweet tooth is doing most of the talking in my head while I’m brain-storming. Inevitably, I realize I’m having a chocolate moment.
Lavender and Chocolate
A while ago at a food show, I ran into Gary Guittard of Guittard Chocolate Company. After exchanging our passionate ideas about chocolate, he generously handed me a variety of his products for instant enjoyment and future cooking. The chocolate bars have been long gone since then, but I still have his 63% dark chocolate chips in the pantry. It’s time I put them to good use. So now my sweet tooth and I come to an agreement. We will create a chocolate pots de crème with lavender-infused cream.
If you prefer a non-dairy version of this, consider substituting heavy cream with coconut milk, and whole milk with soy milk. Or simply use soy milk only. This will create a much lighter dessert for a more guilt-free indulgence.
A very important technique in making this dessert is the hot water bath. Baking the filled ramekins in a water bath under an aluminum foil allows the custard to cook in a gentle, moist heat. The custard will thicken properly this way.
Chocolate and Lavender Pots de Crème
Serves 4-6 (Printable recipe here)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Guittard 63% extra dark chocolate chips)
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp sugar (+ 1 Tbsp if you like very sweet desserts)
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried organic lavender flowers
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Heat up water to use as a hot water bath later.
- In a heavy saucepan, add the lavender flowers to the heavy cream and milk. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Pour the hot cream through a mesh sieve into a bowl of chocolate chips or chunks. Discard the flowers. Whisk the cream to make sure all chocolate has melted.
- In a large bowl or a mixer, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt.
- Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly.
- Strain the custard mixture through the mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl.
- Evenly divide the custard into 4-6 small ramekins. Set them in a roasting pan. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan till halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Poke some holes in an aluminum foil, and cover the roasting pan with it.
- Bake the custards for about 15-20 minutes, checking it after the first 15 minutes. The custard should be lightly set but still slightly runny in the center. It will completely set during cooling.
- Cool the custards in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours. Serve with whipped cream on top if desired.
