Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Chocolate Whiskey Pots de Creme for Two

I am insanely enthusiastic about these crème brulee and crème brulee-like desserts for two. They’re so much simpler than cookies and pastry and so much easier to scale to a two-person household.

This is the first time I’d used my ramekins without also whipping out my crème brulee torch. It’s not that this wouldn’t be good with the crème brulee treatment – I seriously considered dusting each of my pots de crème with the requisite sugar shell – but they’re so rich, so decadent, so that I feared the sugar would just be overkill.

That said, if you decide to go ahead and make this a chocolate whiskey crème brulee, I won’t tell. It’ll be our little secret


I would recommend using light cream instead of half and half for improved texture. I had intended to use light cream but could only find half and half at the store. While the flavors were superlative – caramelized honey overlaid with a whiskey bite and all wrapped up in a chocolate velvet decadence – there was a very slight grainy texture to the pots de crème. Using cream would probably eliminate it. Even with half and half, though, there were no complaints about this dessert at my house.

Chocolate Whiskey Pots de Crème for Two
adapted from Tartelette

½ cup half and half or light cream (light cream recommended)
2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon honey
Seeds from ¼ vanilla bean or ¼-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-2.5 oz. dark chocolate (I think I used 2.3)
1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon whiskey
2 egg yolks

Set a teakettle of water to boil and preheat oven to 350. In small saucepan, heat half and half (or cream) with honey and vanilla until just simmering. Chop chocolate into small pieces and stir into half and half mixture until melted. Add whiskey and stir well. Add egg yolks.

Divide evenly between two ramekins and prepare a bain marie by setting a towel in the bottom of a baking dish (I used an 8x8 pyrex dish), setting the ramekins atop it, and pouring boiling water over the towel.

Put into oven and bake 35-40 minutes or until set.  Let cool at room temperature for an hour or so, then refrigerate until fully set, an hour or two.  Serves 2.

Printable recipe here.

5 comments:

  1. Love that it's a recipe for 2. I must say that I had the same grain trouble with my truffles for some reason... more cream smoothed them right out.. nothing like fat to make everything better. I love the use of honey with chocolate too... mmmm great recipe!

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  2. I was just looking for recipes for pot de creme last night. How funny! I'll have to try these.

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  3. @lostpast, I love 2-person recipes ... no leftovers to worry about! Fat is indeed like magic.

    @MC, these are really good -- the whiskey was perfect with the chocolate. You might want to check out the full-scale recipe since you're cooking for more!

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  4. That looks *amazing*.

    Speaking of amazing, I can't wait to see you this weekend! :-)

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  5. Thanks! I'm really looking forward to seeing you, too.

    Sorry about Clinton.

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