Chocolate-Orange Pots de Crème

Good reason to save those cute little yogurt pots!

Good reason to save those cute little yogurt pots!

Pots de Crème Recipe

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

  • 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao or similar), finely chopped

  • 4 egg yolks

  • 3 TBS sugar

  • 1 tsp. finely zested orange peel (I use a microplane zester)

  • Optional: 1/8 tsp. orange extract

  • 1 pinch sea salt (plus optional flaky sea salt for finishing)

  • Optional for serving: whipped cream or crème fraîche

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300° and ready your containers: small ramekins or cappuccino cups that hold around 4 ounces are best. You can go bigger or smaller according to your preference—it will affect cooking time slightly (the ones pictured here are 6 oz. and took longer to set) as well as the number of servings. Also have a high-sided roasting pan handy that is the right size to hold the serving cups, and arrange the smaller containers within it (basic Pyrex is fine).

  2. In a small saucepan, heat milk and cream until just boiling (watch carefully that it doesn’t boil over). Add chocolate and allow to sit a few minutes and melt. Turn off heat. Meanwhile, whisk together yolks, sugar, orange zest, extract if using, and a pinch of salt. After chocolate mixture has rested for about 5 minutes, whisk it together, and then pour it into the egg yolk mixture and whisk gently, until completely blended (take care not to generate too many bubbles).

  3. Pour the chocolate mixture into the serving containers. Place the pan on the center rack of oven and pour hot water in the roasting pan until it’s halfway up the sides of the serving containers. Cover the entire thing loosely with a sheet of foil that has holes punched in it to allow steam to escape. Bake for around 25-35 minutes, until the mixture is set around the edges but jiggles in the middle a bit still. You can start checking it at around 25 minutes and then every 5 minutes if it needs more time. If your containers are larger they may need more time—more like 45 minutes. Take them out when done, remove from water, and allow to cool at room temperature for about a half hour, then transfer to the refrigerator and cool for 3 hours or until cool and firm. Serve with a little flaky salt on top (I like Maldon sea salt) and, if you like, some whipped cream or crème fraîche.