Chile Chocolate Pots de Creme
Isn't it funny how giving something a French name makes it sound more fancy, but in reality the French translation is super elementary? Take, for instance, pots de creme, pronounced "poh deh krem". These tasty little desserts are similar to mousse, but a bit denser. But guess what "pot de creme" means in French? Yep, you guessed it. Pot of cream. Served in ramekins, these little "pots of cream" are an easy way to make a meal seem fancier, whether it's a dinner party or just a midweek meal that needs some extra decadence!
Not only does the French name make these sound fancier than they are, it also makes them sound more complex to make. To be fair, Julia Child's recipe for pots de creme is a bit more complicated than this one. (As in, she didn't use a blender when making them, but I do.) This recipe is actually kind of a cheater's way of making pots de creme, but they still taste great, and it's hard to not try a recipe that's easy and produces a delicious result.
The ancho chile powder in these gives them a little bit of a kick without overpowering the chocolate. Ancho chile peppers are a bit milder and sweeter than other chilis – ancho chile powder is NOT the same as most "chili powder" you buy in stores – so it's a great add-in for dishes like this, where you want a more soft heat. And since I'm a big fan of dark chocolate, I made these starting with unsweetened chocolate, rather than semi-sweet chocolate. If you like your chocolate a bit more sweet, you can use semi-sweet instead of unsweetened chocolate, but I'd cut back the extra sugar if you go that route!
This recipe also gave me a reason to finally buy some ramekins. I don't have a ton of kitchen space, so I've been avoiding it for a while, but ramekins also make great "mise en place" bowls too! Now I get to eat pots de creme more often, and I can stay organized while I'm baking and cooking. Win-win!
CHILE CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Set Time: 6-8 hours
Ingredients
4 oz unsweetened baker's chocolate 1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream 2 egg yolks
1/4 t ancho chile powder* 4 T white granulated sugar (see Note) 1/8 t salt
*make sure your chile powder is pure ancho chile powder, since most chili powders you would buy in a grocery store are actually a mix of spices (and some even include salt)
Directions
Break apart and chop up the baker's chocolate. Place in a blender cup and set aside for now.
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, yolks, chile powder, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Whisk to combine the ingredients, and continue whisking gently until the mixture starts to bubble. Then remove the saucepan from the heat, and add this mixture to the blender cup over the chocolate pieces.
Blend all the ingredients together until smooth, and try not to over-blend. Ladle or pour the mixture into ramekins or pudding cups – this recipe made 5 ramekins' worth for me. Let these sit in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
When ready to serve, let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes first, and feel free to top with whipped cream and a tiny bit more chile powder if you want an extra kick!
Happy Eating,
Natalie