curtis stone

I have decided to make at least three recipes a week from my Curtis Stone cook book.  The few I have made already are down right amazing.  The first recipe I made was so good that I would appreciate someone creating wonka-vision, so I can share with my friends.  Chocolate pots de creme, at first glance it looks a bit mousse like, but it's the opposite.  With whole milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, and chocolate, you get this velvety and creamy chocolate magnificence.  It says it serves only 6, but we got 7 out of the deal.  Naturally, boyfriend and I taste tested one right a way when it was warm out of the oven, take it from me, this does not have to be chilled to be mind blowingly good.  We took four to a dinner with some family, and then saved the other two for lunch on monday.  If recipes to come are even half that amount of goodness, then this cookbook is beyond worth what I paid for it.

Today, I plan on making peanut butter cookies with chocolate chunks, and I will share the recipe with you all tomorrow if they are good.  It's probably a good thing I went for a run this morning.  We also plan on climbing this afternoon, now does that mean I get two three cookies today?  In the mean time, you get the chocolatey/custardy/velvety/rich goodness.

Chocolate pots de creme
From the lovely and talented Curtis Stone

1 2/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract**
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao, coarsely chopped)
6 large egg yolks

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 250. Whisk cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Add chocolate and whisk until it has melted.  Remove from heat.

Using a whisk, stir the egg yolks in a large bowl to blend, then in a slow and steady stream add the chocolate cream, whisking until smooth.

Divide the mixture among 6 ramekins and place them in a large high sided baking dish or roasting pan. Transfer the pan into the oven, then fill the pan with cold water so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  Bake for about 1 hour, or until the middle jiggles ever so slightly (like my tummy did after having two of these in one weekend).  Let them cool until room temperature, then refrigerate until cold.

This is delicious with a bit of homemade whip cream and a couple strawberries as a garnish.

**I used two teaspoons of vanilla, because, well, I just love my vanilla.