Chocolate Pots de Creme- Help!

[JohnRov]

So I can make creme brulee and it turns out fantastic, super smooth and creamy. Then I saw that there was a chocolate version of this in the Jaques and Julia book. Same recipe, just pour cream/egg/sugar mixture over 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate and mix until it melts. Bake in water bath as usual.

The first time the chocolate didn't really melt and I ended up with ramekins with about 3/4 inch nice, creamy custard on top and about 3/4 inch solid, bitter chocolate on the bottom.

So I decided to try it again, only I'd melt the chocolate over a double boiler first. Did this, but when I added the cream mix, the chocolate turned back into little specks. The cream was plenty hot. So I strained this mixture and baked.

This time I ended up with a homogenous chocolate "custard", but it wasn't near as creamy as a regular custard and the unsweetened chocolate tasted aweful.

Any suggestions?

[gfron1]

What chocolate are you using?

[JohnRov]

What chocolate are you using?

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I was thinking this was going to come up. I'll double check at home. It was from the baking section, with individually wrapped one ounce squares. It melted quite nicely on the double boiler.

[Jonathan Kaplan]

I don't think it is possible to get a chocolate pot de creme quite as perfectly smooth and silken as a vanilla, but you are on the right track.

My proportions for this are 2 cups half-and-half, 7 egg yolks, sugar to taste & according to chocolate chosen. Use a high quality, semi-sweet chocolate -- perhaps Valrhona or similar, at between 55-75% cacao or so. Chop the pieces up / shave them so they are smallish. Beat the egg yolks until smooth, add the chocolate.

Dissolve the sugar in the half and half and warm to just below boiling. Add a bit of the warm cream to the egg to temper, add the egg/chocolate mix back into the cream off the heat while mixing vigorously. Let rest a few minutes.

Mix again, and put the mixture through a fine fine strainer. Let it rest again, then put it through the strainer again (without mixing it again). Leave the dregs. Then pour it into the ramekins, putting it through the strainer a third time in the process, and again leaving the dregs. You should end up with something pretty smooth.

Oh, and bake a lower temperature than for the vanilla (perhaps 325ish) and for a shorter period of time (should still jiggle in the middle with a light tap), and in a bain marie of course (make sure you pour in hot water to at least half way up the ramekins, preferably 2/3rds).

Hope this helps!

jk

[JohnRov]

I don't think it is possible to get a chocolate pot de creme quite as perfectly smooth and silken as a vanilla, but you are on the right track.

My proportions for this are 2 cups half-and-half, 7 egg yolks, sugar to taste & according to chocolate chosen.  Use a high quality, semi-sweet chocolate -- perhaps Valrhona or similar, at between 55-75% cacao or so.  Chop the pieces up / shave them so they are smallish.  Beat the egg yolks until smooth, add the chocolate. 

Dissolve the sugar in the half and half and warm to just below boiling.  Add a bit of the warm cream to the egg to temper, add the egg/chocolate mix back into the cream off the heat while mixing vigorously.  Let rest a few minutes.

Mix again, and put the mixture through a fine fine strainer.  Let it rest again, then put it through the strainer again (without mixing it again).  Leave the dregs.  Then pour it into the ramekins, putting it through the strainer a third time in the process, and again leaving the dregs.  You should end up with something pretty smooth.

Oh, and bake a lower temperature than for the vanilla (perhaps 325ish) and for a shorter period of time (should still jiggle in the middle with a light tap), and in a bain marie of course (make sure you pour in hot water to at least half way up the ramekins, preferably 2/3rds). 

Hope this helps!

jk

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Thank you, your proportions and order of operations are different than mine, but I am going to try yours. Here's what I have been doing (for vanilla), just for comparison.

2 c heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

1/3 c sugar

Gradually whisk sugar into eggs until lemon yellow and ribbons form. Bring cream to simmer w/vanilla bean. Add cream to eggs gradually, mixing, not whisking. Add to ramekins and bake in water bath.

[russ parsons]

my favorite chocolate pots de creme is adapted (lightly) from richard sax' "classic home desserts". several years ago i did a story wehre i cooked about a dozen different variations and this one was not only the most straightforward, but also the best:

Chocolate Pots de Creme

Adapted from Richard Sax's "Classic Home Desserts" (Chapters, 1994).

1/4 pound chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup milk

2 eggs plus 2 yolks

1/3 cup sugar

Lightly sweetened whipped cream, optional

* Bring chocolate, whipping cream and milk just to boiling point in small saucepan, stirring occasionally. When steam appears at edges of pan, remove from heat and whisk smooth.

* While liquid ingredients are cooking, lightly beat eggs, egg yolks and sugar to combine in medium mixing bowl. Do not let mixture get foamy.

* Whisking gently, dribble 1/4 cup hot milk mixture into eggs. Whisk until smooth. Gradually add more hot milk, whisking constantly, until all milk is combined with eggs. Pour through strainer into pitcher or 4-cup mixing cup.

* Divide mixture equally among 8 (1/2-cup) ramekins. Egg mixture should fill ramekins only 2/3 to 3/4 full. Place baking pan on middle rack of 300-degree oven and place ramekins in pan. Fill pan with very hot water to halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover loosely with sheet of foil or baking sheet and bake until edges are set and center of custard still trembles when shaken, 30 to 35 minutes.

* Remove baking pan from oven. Remove ramekins from baking pan and cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate until serving time. Serve, passing lightly sweetened whipped cream to add as wished.

[alanamoana]

use an immersion/burr/stick blender to combine the chocolate with the rest of the ingredients. strain and then bake as usual. you shouldn't have any problems. also, the type of chocolate you use might make a small difference. i'd use something that you'd eat out of hand rather than something from the 'baking' area of a grocery store.

[John DePaula]

my favorite chocolate pots de creme is adapted (lightly) from richard sax' "classic home desserts". several years ago i did a story wehre i cooked about a dozen different variations and this one was not only the most straightforward, but also the best:

Chocolate Pots de Creme

Adapted from Richard Sax's "Classic Home Desserts" (Chapters, 1994).

1/4 pound chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup milk

2 eggs plus 2 yolks

1/3 cup sugar

Lightly sweetened whipped cream, optional

* Bring chocolate, whipping cream and milk just to boiling point in small saucepan, stirring occasionally. When steam appears at edges of pan, remove from heat and whisk smooth.

* While liquid ingredients are cooking, lightly beat eggs, egg yolks and sugar to combine in medium mixing bowl. Do not let mixture get foamy.

* Whisking gently, dribble 1/4 cup hot milk mixture into eggs. Whisk until smooth. Gradually add more hot milk, whisking constantly, until all milk is combined with eggs. Pour through strainer into pitcher or 4-cup mixing cup.

* Divide mixture equally among 8 (1/2-cup) ramekins. Egg mixture should fill ramekins only 2/3 to 3/4 full. Place baking pan on middle rack of 300-degree oven and place ramekins in pan. Fill pan with very hot water to halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover loosely with sheet of foil or baking sheet and bake until edges are set and center of custard still trembles when shaken, 30 to 35 minutes.

* Remove baking pan from oven. Remove ramekins from baking pan and cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate until serving time. Serve, passing lightly sweetened whipped cream to add as wished.

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This looks like it'd be fine. My only suggestion is to add the chocolate after the cream is heated (to reduce the risk of scorching the chocolate). Remove from heat, add chocolate, whisk and continue as usual.

Also would add, as Alana says, the choice of chocolate will make a difference. In my mind, a BIG difference. Why not splurge and try Valrhona Guanaja.

[JohnRov]

Thanks, I'll be experimenting next week with everyone's suggestions and I'll report back.

[sugarseattle]

it might be too small a batch and the cream (even though it's hot) is cooling too quickly to be able to melt the chocolate. I've had this problem with making small batches of ganache. You can throw the chunky custard into the microwave to reheat and melt again, however if you

re not using baking/couverture chocolate, the dextrose (to stabilize baking chips) is going to get in the way of allowing you to make a smooth cuatard.

Alternately, you could do the whole thing on a double boiler and then once you're custard's ready, just add the chocolate until it's melted. I strain all my custards anyway to get rid of any egg action.

[JohnRov]

my favorite chocolate pots de creme is adapted (lightly) from richard sax' "classic home desserts". several years ago i did a story wehre i cooked about a dozen different variations and this one was not only the most straightforward, but also the best:

Chocolate Pots de Creme

Adapted from Richard Sax's "Classic Home Desserts" (Chapters, 1994).

1/4 pound chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup milk

2 eggs plus 2 yolks

1/3 cup sugar

Lightly sweetened whipped cream, optional

* Bring chocolate, whipping cream and milk just to boiling point in small saucepan, stirring occasionally. When steam appears at edges of pan, remove from heat and whisk smooth.

* While liquid ingredients are cooking, lightly beat eggs, egg yolks and sugar to combine in medium mixing bowl. Do not let mixture get foamy.

* Whisking gently, dribble 1/4 cup hot milk mixture into eggs. Whisk until smooth. Gradually add more hot milk, whisking constantly, until all milk is combined with eggs. Pour through strainer into pitcher or 4-cup mixing cup.

* Divide mixture equally among 8 (1/2-cup) ramekins. Egg mixture should fill ramekins only 2/3 to 3/4 full. Place baking pan on middle rack of 300-degree oven and place ramekins in pan. Fill pan with very hot water to halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover loosely with sheet of foil or baking sheet and bake until edges are set and center of custard still trembles when shaken, 30 to 35 minutes.

* Remove baking pan from oven. Remove ramekins from baking pan and cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate until serving time. Serve, passing lightly sweetened whipped cream to add as wished.

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Beautiful! Made a batch using your recipe this morning and just tasted it. I used Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate and added a bit of vanilla extract to the cream. Wonderful. Creamy consistency, good chocolate flavor, the wife is thrilled (and that's very important!).