Martha's Chocolate Pots de Creme

As often happens when cleaning out the pantry, I discover something I had forgotten about. In this case it was a set of four heart-shaped cocottes from the Martha Stewart Collection I had purchased a few years ago at Macy's. It was a fortuitous discovery with Valentine's Day just a few days away. Included in the box was a recipe card for delicious looking chocolate pots de creme. I had all of the ingredients on hand and decided to give the recipe a go!

The cocottes, which are brightly-hued in Valentine's Day colours, are small enough (11 ounces) to make individual servings and the recipe below perfectly fills them. For presentation, it is nice to bring the cocottes to the table with their lids on. Remove them just before adding the whipped cream to serve. Here is the recipe:

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 1/2 cups of heavy cream
6 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Boiling water, for roasting pan

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven 325 F. Put finely chopped chocolate into a medium bowl. Bring 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in the bowl. Let stand for five minutes and then stir until smooth.

2. Whisk together egg yolks, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in chocolate mixture. Pour through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup.

3. Place four 11-ounce heart cocottes into a roasting pan. Pour chocolate mixture into each, dividing evenly. Boil water. Pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the cocottes. Cover the entire pan with foil. Cook until custards are barely set, about 35 minutes.

4. Transfer cocottes to a wire rack to cool slightly. Cover the tops with plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

5. Beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Spoon a dollop over each pot de creme before serving.

The recipe couldn't be easier and produces a luscious, creamy, chocolatey confection that every chocolate-lover will enjoy. Click here to purchase the latest version of Martha's four heart-shaped cocottes.