Ingredients

The following ingredients have 8 Servings
  • 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (roughly chopped)
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 9 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Whipped cream (for garnish (optional))
  • Shaved chocolate (for garnish (optional))

Instruction

  • Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. (Try not to nibble any of it…unless you bought a little extra expressly for that inspired purpose.)
  • Combine the cream, half-and-half, salt, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until it approaches a simmer—that is to say, when small bubbles begin to appear around the edge of the pan. This ought to take about 4 minutes. Do not let the cream mixture boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly.
  • Whisk the egg yolks and the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl until well combined and smooth. Still whisking constantly, slowly pour in about 1 cup warm cream mixture and whisk, whisk, whisk until completely combined. Then pour this mixture into the remaining cream mixture in the pan and whisk constantly until smooth. (Your arm tired from whisking yet?!)
  • Return the pan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a pureed soup, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and let it stand, without stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes to warm the chocolate. Then slowly and gently stir with a whisk—trying your best not to incorporate any air into the chocolatey goodness. When the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla extract and gently stir again. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl.
  • Divide the custardy chocolate mixture evenly among eight 4-ounce ramekins or ovenproof cups. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 hours. Cover the chilled custard-filled ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours longer. (Don’t let your impatience get the better of you. The additional fridge time brings about a revelatory transformation in the texture of these pots de crèmes.)
  • To serve, let the pots de crèmes come to room temperature, about 30 minutes, give or take a little. If desired, top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.