Mocha Pots de Creme
Posted on 05 September 2008 by joy
Mocha Pots de Creme is just a big, fancy way of saying The Most Delicious Chocolate Pudding You’ll Ever Encounter. I suppose people just find it easier to say Mocha Pots de Creme.
This dessert is rich and smooth. It’s flavored with good quality dark chocolate and coffee. The coffee flavor is embedded into the custard but isn’t overwhelming. Whole coffee beans are steeped into the milk custard then cooled espresso is stirred into the finished custard. The two types of coffee create a deliciously subtle yet full flavor.
Pots de Creme are traditionally baked and served in small pots. I used small, white tea cups and was more than pleased with the look. It looked like a dark cup of coffee, but was thick enough to dig a spoon into and tasted like silky smooth chocolate. Perfect.
Mocha Pots de Creme
makes 4-6 pots depending on the size
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
7 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup whole coffee beans
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons espresso, cooled
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 325 degree F.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream, milk and sugar to a boil As soon as the dairy begins to boil, remove from heat and add the coffee beans. Cover the pan and allow the beans to infuse for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Return the dairy back to the stove and return to a boil Slowly stream the hot dairy into the chocolate, gently whisk together as you would a ganache. Return the chocolate dairy to the pan and place the egg yolks into the same bowl that the chocolate was in.
Allow the dairy to cool to 165 degrees F then temper into the yolks by pouring the dairy in a steady stream into the egg yolks while whisking the eggs. Return the custard to the sauce pan.
Over medium-low heat, cook slowly, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 170 degrees. This will take 3-4 minutes. Immediately strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. Season with espresso, vanilla and salt.
To Bake the Custards: Place the oven rack just below the center of the oven. Place the empty ramekins (or whatever you’re using) inside a roasting pan. Pull the oven rack out slightly and place the roasting pan on it. Using a pitcher, fill the ramekins seven eights full and place them onto the roasting pan. Next, pour enough boiling water into the pan so that the water level is between one-third and one-half way up the sides of the ramekins. Place a sheet of foil over the tops of the custards but do not seal the foil onto the pan.
Bake for 30-50 minutes (depending on the size of the ramekin, less time for smaller ramekins), until the custards are set 1/4-1/2-inch in from the sides. The center should respond with a firm and slight jiggle (not wavelike) when the ramekins are nudged. The center of the custards will be 150-155 degrees F.
Cooling the Custards: It is ideal to cool the custards to room temperature in their water bath. If the roasting pan and custards can’t be moved from the oven safely, use a pair of tongs or a large metal spatula to remove the custards from the water bath. Place on a rack, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally 8 hours, before serving. Too cool the custards down quickly, place in an ice bath. When cooled in this manner, there is a risk of the custards cracking. For best results, let the custards chill overnight.
