Easy and simple, decadent chocolate dessert recipe that's also Gluten Free!

I had my first chocolate pot de crème in a restaurant in San Francisco. It's creamy texture and smooth rich chocolate were intoxicating. I immediately set out on a search for the perfect recipe to create my own mouth-watering desserts. I stumbled upon Chef Tamayo's recipe--it was incredible. After using it for awhile and several errors along the way, I've developed several tips and tricks to help the overall finished results come to culinary chocolatey perfection.

Follow along and enjoy!

Step 1: Ingredients & Materials

You'll need the following Ingredients for your Pot de Crème:

1/2 Cup of Whole Milk
2 Cups of Heavy Whipping Cream
1/3 Cup of Sugar
6 Egg Yolks
5 Oz of Bittersweet or Semisweet Baking Chocolate

Materials:

6 Ramekins
Baking Dish
Whisk
Bowl
Pan
Aluminum Foil
Strainer
Cheese Cloth

Step 2: Prepare Eggs

Separate the yolks from six eggs. Combine the yolks and 1/3 cup of sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk until evenly combined. If you need help separating the yolks, this is a great Instructable.

This is also an ideal time to start preheating your oven to 325F (162.77 C).

Step 3: Heating Your Dairy

Combine your heavy whipping cream and whole milk in a sauce pan. Place on your stove over medium to high heat, stirring occasionally. Heat until your milk and cream begin to simmer.

Once simmering, remove from the heat.

I like to use a thick/heavy bottomed pan for this step so that my milk and cream don't burn, but you can use a regular pot or pan, just watch your milk mixture.

Step 4: Chocolate

Add your chocolate to your hot milk mixture. Stir until all of your chocolate has melted and mixed evenly with your milk.

You can use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for this step. I like to use half and half of each.

Step 5: Cool & Combine

After having made this recipe several times, I have learned the hard way that it is essential to let your hot chocolate milk mixture cool for a minimum of 5 minutes before proceeding. If the mixture is too hot when you incorporate the eggs, your pot de crèmes will have a granular texture instead of being uniformly smooth and creamy.

Slowly pour in some of your chocolate milk mixture into your eggs and sugar. Mix until combined before adding more. Continue to gradually mix in your hot chocolate milk until it is all combined.

Step 6: Strain & Skim

Once all of your ingredients are combined and uniformly mixed, pour your mixture through a strainer lined with cheese cloth into a clean bowl. This will remove some unwanted froth and solids that may have formed, insuring a creamier and smoother finished product.

Let your mixture sit for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam or solids that develop at the surface. I like to use a regular tablespoon for this step.

Step 7: Ramekins

Carefully pour your pot de crème batter into your ramekins. I have found that it fits perfectly in 6 small baking ramekins. Cover just the top of each ramekin with foil. Your pot de crème also won't rise, so you can pour your custard mixture close to the top of your ramekins.

Place your filled ramekins in your baking dish. Six ramekins should fit into one 13" x 9" pyrex baking dish. Fill your baking dish with warm/hot water until your ramekins are submerged half way. I like to use a pyrex measuring glass to fill the dish with water so that I can control the speed and direction of the water as it's filling the baking dish, taking care to avoid your beautiful desserts.

Step 8: Bake

Bake your ramekins in their water bath for 55 minutes at 325F (162.77 C). They should have a solid appearance, but their centers will still jiggle slightly when shaken gently.

Remove the ramekins from the oven and the water bath. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before placing them in the fridge for 3 hours for the final cooling phase.

Step 9: Eat Up!

After your pot de crèmes have cooled for 3 hours they are ready to eat! Garnish and serve. Some fun garnishes include: raspberries, candied orange peels, pomegranate seeds, or chocolate shavings!

I like to pull my pot de crèmes out of the fridge and let them warm to room temperature for a couple minutes before serving. I have found that this lets the custard like quality of the pot de crème become smoother and more enjoyable.

Enjoy!