mandag den 20. februar 2012

Secret Recipe Club February: Chocolate Pots de Créme



It's already been 2 months since the last round of Secret Recipe Club recipes, and I've been looking forward to the end of the break.
Anticipating the moment where you get the mail with your next assigned blog - searching that blog for the recipe you want to make - getting to know a little bit about the person behind it - these things have already become an important part of my blogging life.

This month, I had the pleasure of browsing through Fifteen Spatulas, written by Joanne from somewhere in the US (sorry, haven't been able to find your location!)
The blog is named after Joanne's favorite kitchen tool, the spatula - and I have to agree with her on this. You can never have too many spatulas - there's a spatula for different occasions, and each and every different shape and size have a purpose.
I only have 5.
I want more spatulas.

Joanne also has her own Youtube channel with recipe videos - be sure to check them out at http://www.youtube.com/user/FifteenSpatulas?feature=watch

So - which recipe to choose?
It was hard, as there were many great looking. But in the end, I had no doubt when I came across the recipe for Chocolate Pots de Créme.
We were planning to have friends over for dinner a couple of weeks before the reveal date, and since especially the wife is extremely fond of chocolate (to the point of partly naming their dog after it), it would be a great dessert to serve for them, plus doing it that day would give me plenty of time to finish the post.
So Chocolate Pots de Créme it was.

I had never heard the name Pots de Créme before, so I did a little investigating and found the link for Potsdecreme.com where you can read all about this lovely dessert. Actually the name doesn't just refer to the dish itself, but also to the lovely little pots it can be served in. Check out the link for more info about the history of the dessert, and different recipes with different flavours.

Joanne serves the custard in ramekins, but I chose to use some of my smaller glass canning jars - you have to cover the custard while it bakes, so it was easy to just use the lids instead of using foil, plus they could stay covered with the lids in the fridge, while they cool down and set.
Also, it seems to be very "in" to serve things in canning jars.
I don't mind being "in" for a few minutes.

The chocolate créme is served with a whipped cream with melted white chocolate in Joanne's version, and it was my intention to do so as well.

I failed miserably.

I don't know if the chocolate got too hot in the microwave (too lazy to do it over a water bath), or if it was because the whipping cream had been frozen - but I ended up with something resembling butter with a milky substance around it.

No, I did not whisk the cream too long. I know when to stop.

So instead I decided to just sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and serve with pomegranate kernels. They are fabulous and fresh with everything chocolate.

Chocolate Pots de Créme:
6-8 portions
adapted from Fifteenspatulas.com

½ liter / 2 cups whipping cream
2½ dl / 1 cup skim milk
175 g / 6 oz good quality dark chocolate (I used approx. 2/3 57% and 1/3 70%)
1 1/4 dl / ½ cup sugar
8 egg yolks (I used pasteurized to be on the safe side)
3 tbsp Amaretto liquer (I didn't have any)
1 tsp (homemade) vanilla extract

Turn on the oven on 160 degrees Celcius / 325 Fahrenheit.
Heat up cream and milk in a pan over medium heat until it is close to boiling.
Take the pan off the heat and add the chocolate - whisk until all the chocolate is melted.
In a big bowl, mix sugar, egg yolks, Amaretto (if using this) and vanilla with an electrical mixer until the mixture is thick, light and creamy and the sugar is dissolved. Slowly pour the cream/chocolate mix into the eggs while still mixing - continue until all the chocolate has been added.
You can strain the mixture into another bowl to make sure no eggs have been scrambled due to the heat. I didn't since it didn't become a problem.
Pour the chocolate mixture into 6-8 small canning glass jars and put on the lids.
Place jars in a baking dish - fill the dish with water so it reaches halfway up the jars.
Bake for 45 minutes until the chocolate mixture begins to set. It may rise a bit while baking, and then *pooof* fall down a bit again after you take it out of the oven, but this doesn't affect the taste.


Let the jars cool off a bit and put them in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Remove the lids and serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar (it looks nice to sprinkle it on the glass itself as well as on the chocolate in the glass. Or maybe I am just saying this because I did it by accident) and pomegranate kernels.

Conclusion:

This is a wonderful rich and creamy chocolate dessert - I really like that it is baked compared to a "raw" chocolate mousse, and Hubby and our friends also enjoyed it.
I didn't mind that the white chocolate cream failed - it was very refreshing with the pomegranate kernels, and I think it could easily have been too sweet with the white chocolate as well.
Thank you Joanne for a wonderful recipe, and for being my "SRC pal" this month :-)

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36 kommentarer:

  1. This looks wonderful. I love the fact that you used your canning jars. I think I might have to do that too!

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    1. Thanks Aimee - I think the canning jars are such a cute idea for serving!

      Slet
  2. YAY!!! I absolutely loved reading your post and I'm so glad you enjoyed these. The canning jars presentation is absolutely beautiful, and the pomegranate seeds are such a great idea. Thanks for all the love!

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    1. Thank you Joanne, for the recipe - I am sure I will be making this again!

      Slet
  3. Oh my! This looks delicious! I love how you used pomegranate seeds :)

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  4. Oh I just love these! How creative that you baked them in the canning jars...perfect! What a great choice you made! : )

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    1. Thank you Anne - I love my canning jars, and they are good for so many things!

      Slet
  5. I love the idea of using jars. Pots de creme is a favorite ever since I made it a few years ago. Yours look delicious :)

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    1. Thanks Avanika - it could easily become a favorite chocolate dessert for me as well!

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  6. Sad face for your white chocolate! They look delicious, your photo is great. The jars are adorable.

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    1. No need for any sad faces Rhonda - I think it all turned out for the best with the pomegranate seeds.

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  7. Looks beautiful! I'd love to make these.

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    1. Thanks Toni - I can highly recommend that you try!

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  8. I love how yummy these look with the powdered sugar and pomegranate arils on top! It's always a bummer when something doesn't work in the kitchen, but ! think I'd want to eat the pots just how you served them, yum!

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    1. Thanks Jo - I wasn't too sad when I found the other solution. I could almost convince myself it was healthy :-)

      Slet
  9. These look fabulous! I'll have to keep this in mind next time we have guests over...

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    1. Thanks Mindy - I hope you will, as I'm sure your guests will enjoy it.

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  10. Wow, jeg må sige at de ser lækre ud - og jeg er vild med serveringen i de små glas. Den har jeg også erhvervet mig rigtig mange af, efter jeg har set hvor meget amerikanerne kan bruge dem til :-)

    Mange hilsner
    Birthe

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    1. Tak - jeg er også ret begejstret for de glas, og har også fundet inspirationen på de amerikanske blogs.
      Jeg har også købt en ordentlig portion (da Netto havde et parti på tilbud) i forskellige størrelser til sukker, mel, gryn, kerner osv., så jeg tror jeg har rigeligt, selv hvis jeg skulle servere sådan en dessert for en mindre hær :-)

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  11. Great choice for SRC, this looks so delicious! So glad to be in Group C with you! :)

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    1. Thank you Kelly - it really was :-)

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    1. Thanks Erin, it was a little slice of heaven indeed :-)

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  13. I love how you took a potential failure and still made it fabulous. (Love those pomegranate seeds!) Great post!

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    1. Thank you Eliotseats - you just have to see the potential when something goes wrong!

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  14. Looks like you made it a success. Great dessert for company and I love using the jars! Excellent SRC choice.

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    1. Thanks Kate - it was great for guests, but I wouldn't mind making it again, just for us :-)

      Slet
  15. Love that you made this in jars and the pomegranate seeds look lovely with it.

    If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out my Group 'A' SRC entry: Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites

    Lisa~~
    Cook Lisa Cook

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    1. Thank you Lisa - the jars are great for so many things!

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    2. I would have picked this recipe, too...so beautiful and delicious! And I love how you served this in jars...CUTE!

      Slet
  16. ah the canning jars are adorable - I use them for every too :) I've never had Pots de Creme, but you have me really wanting some. Great SRC pick!!

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    1. Thanks Rachel - I hope you will make it and that you like it!

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  17. Lizzy, thanks - I'm in love with my jars :-)

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  18. i made pot de creme for the first time last week! and it was divine. next time, it'll be chocolate (mine was vanilla bean) and i'll bookmark this for future use.

    PS. spatulas are both necessary and terrific. Happy SRC reveal from a group D member!

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  19. Delish! I have never make these, now I am inspired. Glad to be part of SRC group C with you.

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