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Chocolate pot de crème is a heavenly dessert, and when it’s made stovetop, it’s incredibly simple to make — there’s no water bath… hooray! A stovetop custard comes together in no time, and after an hour chill in the fridge, it’s ready to go. Dark chocolate custard + Grand Marnier + sea salt + homemade whipped cream — does dessert get any better?

If you’ve ever made pot de crème , you’re likely comfortable baking with a water bath: setting vessels filled with custard (egg + milk) in a larger pan, filling the pan with hot water, then setting the pan in an oven to bake slowly.

There’s nothing hard about it, but it does require planning: custards typically bake for 45 minutes to an hour, then often chill for about 8 hours before serving.

Last fall, I had hoped to make chocolate pot de crème for a French bistro cooking class I was teaching at the Hillsdale General Store. If I made them the traditional way, it would have been a logistical challenge: making one batch ahead of time, shlepping it to Hillsdale, making a fresh batch, shlepping that one home.

A Faster Way to Pot de Crème

My dilemma made me wonder: is there a faster way to pot de crème? It turns out yes. After a bit of Googling, I found two recipes, one from Fine Cooking , the other from Cook’s Illustrated , each calling for making the custards stovetop.

What I loved about the Fine Cooking recipe was that it was written to serve 2 people, so if it didn’t turn out well, it wouldn’t have been a huge investment in ingredients. I made it immediately, and it worked beautifully — easy to throw together, and after an hour of chilling, it was ready.

For the class at Hillsdale, we made the pot de crème first, and by the end of class, they were ready. Everyone raved, and I’ve since made the recipe for many occasions.

Stovetop Chocolate Pot de Crème

The beauty of making pot de crème on the stovetop is:

• No need to plan ahead : You can make whisk this together just before dinner, and it will be ready to be served by the end — an hour in the fridge is all it needs.
• Scalability: you can make it for 2 or for 20.
• Keeping power: If you have the time to plan ahead, these can be made several days in advance and stored in the fridge until needed.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Lovebirds!

PS: More Desserts here | More Valentine’s Day ideas here

Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients:

Separate the yolks from the whites; you need 8 yolks. (Save the whites for angel food cake. ):

Temper the yolks: slowly whisk the hot cream and milk mixture into the yolks:

Return the custard to the stovetop and cook until it coats the back of a spoon:

Add the chocolate, sugar, and vanilla:

Whisk to combine:

Strain to remove any curdled egg:

Pour into glasses and chill until ready to serve:

Meanwhile, make the whipped cream:

Whip until thick…

then spoon it into the glasses:

Shave chocolate over top if you wish:

If you’ve made the pot de crème ahead of time, bring them to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.

Description

Adapted from this Fine Cooking recipe . Pot de crème, which translates to “pot of cream,” is pronounced: POH-də-KREM

See notes below if you’d like to make this for only 2 people.

I recently made a double batch of this for a Valentine’s Day dinner at the Vischer Ferry General Store. For a double batch, I added 1/2 cup Grand Marnier, and I thought it turned out especially well. I also use Guittard 72% chocolate wafers, which also attributed to its especially nice flavor.

These are the glasses I used to serve the pot de crème in: 5 oz. Libbey Lexington Juice Glass . You have to buy a case, which has 36 glasses, which is a lot, but they are so handy for water, wine, all sorts of desserts. I’ve split a case with a friend in the past only to buy another full case to have on hand. If you want to buy fewer glasses, these are similar and you can buy fewer (12).

for the pot de crème (see notes below for small-batch version):

• 2 cups ( 475 g ) heavy cream
• 1 cup ( 237 grams ) 2% or whole milk
• 8 large egg yolks
• 12 oz ( 340 grams ) bittersweet chocolate chips or chocolate bars broken into small pieces (Guittard 66-72% cacao chocolate wafers makes for an especially delicious flavor)
• ½ cup ( 100 grams ) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 to 4 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional

for the whipped cream:

• 1 cup ( 237 grams ) heavy cream
• 1/4 cup ( 25 grams ) confectioners’ sugar + more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon plus more to taste flaky sea salt such as Maldon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat the cream and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until scalding hot. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the eggs.
2. Return the milk mixture to the pan, reduce the heat to low, and whisk until it thickens, about 1 minute, or until it coats the back of a spoon. Note: rely less on time here and more on visual cues: you want the custard to coat the back of a spoon; if you dip a spoon or spatula into the custard and then run your finger through the custard coating the spoon, a clear line should remain. T his is the critical step. It’s important that the milk mixture thickens otherwise the final mixture will never set.
3. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and sugar; whisk until melted. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine. Taste. Season with more sea salt to taste — I always a few more pinches to taste. Add the vanilla and booze, if using. Start with 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, then add more to taste, stirring after each addition—the mixture might look thin, especially if you add 4 tablespoons of booze, but it will thicken in the fridge. Divide the mixture between eight to ten 6-oz. ramekins or serving glasses. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile: make the whipped cream: Beat the cream with a whisk or with the whip of a stand mixer. When it begins to form soft peaks, add the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and vanilla. Continue to beat until the peaks get firmer, but are still soft and pillowy. Taste. Add more sugar if it’s not sweet enough; add more salt to taste. I like the whipped cream to not be too sweet because the pot de crème is sweet and rich on its own. I typically add a pinch more salt and a pinch more sugar.
5. To serve, bring the pot de creme to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving. Spoon whipped cream over chocolate. Shave chocolate over top.

Notes

If you want to just make this for 2 people, use these proportions:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 teaspoons Grand Marnier, optional

For the whipped cream, use these proportions:

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

• pinch sea salt

• splash vanilla

• Prep Time: 30 minutes

• Category: Dessert

• Method: Stovetop

• Cuisine: American, French

Chocolate pot de crème is a heavenly dessert, and when it’s made stovetop, it’s incredibly simple to make — there’s no water bath… hooray! A stovetop custard comes together in no time, and after an hour chill in the fridge, it’s ready to go. Dark chocolate custard + Grand Marnier + sea salt + homemade whipped cream — does dessert get any better?

If you’ve ever made pot de crème , you’re likely comfortable baking with a water bath: setting vessels filled with custard (egg + milk) in a larger pan, filling the pan with hot water, then setting the pan in an oven to bake slowly.

There’s nothing hard about it, but it does require planning: custards typically bake for 45 minutes to an hour, then often chill for about 8 hours before serving.

Last fall, I had hoped to make chocolate pot de crème for a French bistro cooking class I was teaching at the Hillsdale General Store. If I made them the traditional way, it would have been a logistical challenge: making one batch ahead of time, shlepping it to Hillsdale, making a fresh batch, shlepping that one home.

A Faster Way to Pot de Crème

My dilemma made me wonder: is there a faster way to pot de crème? It turns out yes. After a bit of Googling, I found two recipes, one from Fine Cooking , the other from Cook’s Illustrated , each calling for making the custards stovetop.

What I loved about the Fine Cooking recipe was that it was written to serve 2 people, so if it didn’t turn out well, it wouldn’t have been a huge investment in ingredients. I made it immediately, and it worked beautifully — easy to throw together, and after an hour of chilling, it was ready.

For the class at Hillsdale, we made the pot de crème first, and by the end of class, they were ready. Everyone raved, and I’ve since made the recipe for many occasions.

Stovetop Chocolate Pot de Crème

The beauty of making pot de crème on the stovetop is:

• No need to plan ahead : You can make whisk this together just before dinner, and it will be ready to be served by the end — an hour in the fridge is all it needs.
• Scalability: you can make it for 2 or for 20.
• Keeping power: If you have the time to plan ahead, these can be made several days in advance and stored in the fridge until needed.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Lovebirds!

PS: More Desserts here | More Valentine’s Day ideas here

Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients:

Separate the yolks from the whites; you need 8 yolks. (Save the whites for angel food cake. ):

Temper the yolks: slowly whisk the hot cream and milk mixture into the yolks:

Return the custard to the stovetop and cook until it coats the back of a spoon:

Add the chocolate, sugar, and vanilla:

Whisk to combine:

Strain to remove any curdled egg:

Pour into glasses and chill until ready to serve:

Meanwhile, make the whipped cream:

Whip until thick…

then spoon it into the glasses:

Shave chocolate over top if you wish:

If you’ve made the pot de crème ahead of time, bring them to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.

Description

Adapted from this Fine Cooking recipe . Pot de crème, which translates to “pot of cream,” is pronounced: POH-də-KREM

See notes below if you’d like to make this for only 2 people.

I recently made a double batch of this for a Valentine’s Day dinner at the Vischer Ferry General Store. For a double batch, I added 1/2 cup Grand Marnier, and I thought it turned out especially well. I also use Guittard 72% chocolate wafers, which also attributed to its especially nice flavor.

These are the glasses I used to serve the pot de crème in: 5 oz. Libbey Lexington Juice Glass . You have to buy a case, which has 36 glasses, which is a lot, but they are so handy for water, wine, all sorts of desserts. I’ve split a case with a friend in the past only to buy another full case to have on hand. If you want to buy fewer glasses, these are similar and you can buy fewer (12).

for the pot de crème (see notes below for small-batch version):

• 2 cups ( 475 g ) heavy cream
• 1 cup ( 237 grams ) 2% or whole milk
• 8 large egg yolks
• 12 oz ( 340 grams ) bittersweet chocolate chips or chocolate bars broken into small pieces (Guittard 66-72% cacao chocolate wafers makes for an especially delicious flavor)
• ½ cup ( 100 grams ) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 to 4 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional

for the whipped cream:

• 1 cup ( 237 grams ) heavy cream
• 1/4 cup ( 25 grams ) confectioners’ sugar + more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon plus more to taste flaky sea salt such as Maldon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat the cream and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until scalding hot. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the eggs.
2. Return the milk mixture to the pan, reduce the heat to low, and whisk until it thickens, about 1 minute, or until it coats the back of a spoon. Note: rely less on time here and more on visual cues: you want the custard to coat the back of a spoon; if you dip a spoon or spatula into the custard and then run your finger through the custard coating the spoon, a clear line should remain. T his is the critical step. It’s important that the milk mixture thickens otherwise the final mixture will never set.
3. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and sugar; whisk until melted. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine. Taste. Season with more sea salt to taste — I always a few more pinches to taste. Add the vanilla and booze, if using. Start with 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, then add more to taste, stirring after each addition—the mixture might look thin, especially if you add 4 tablespoons of booze, but it will thicken in the fridge. Divide the mixture between eight to ten 6-oz. ramekins or serving glasses. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile: make the whipped cream: Beat the cream with a whisk or with the whip of a stand mixer. When it begins to form soft peaks, add the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and vanilla. Continue to beat until the peaks get firmer, but are still soft and pillowy. Taste. Add more sugar if it’s not sweet enough; add more salt to taste. I like the whipped cream to not be too sweet because the pot de crème is sweet and rich on its own. I typically add a pinch more salt and a pinch more sugar.
5. To serve, bring the pot de creme to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving. Spoon whipped cream over chocolate. Shave chocolate over top.

Notes

If you want to just make this for 2 people, use these proportions:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 teaspoons Grand Marnier, optional

For the whipped cream, use these proportions:

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

• pinch sea salt

• splash vanilla

• Prep Time: 30 minutes

• Category: Dessert

• Method: Stovetop

• Cuisine: American, French

Description

Adapted from this Fine Cooking recipe . Pot de crème, which translates to “pot of cream,” is pronounced: POH-də-KREM

See notes below if you’d like to make this for only 2 people.

I recently made a double batch of this for a Valentine’s Day dinner at the Vischer Ferry General Store. For a double batch, I added 1/2 cup Grand Marnier, and I thought it turned out especially well. I also use Guittard 72% chocolate wafers, which also attributed to its especially nice flavor.

These are the glasses I used to serve the pot de crème in: 5 oz. Libbey Lexington Juice Glass . You have to buy a case, which has 36 glasses, which is a lot, but they are so handy for water, wine, all sorts of desserts. I’ve split a case with a friend in the past only to buy another full case to have on hand. If you want to buy fewer glasses, these are similar and you can buy fewer (12).

for the pot de crème (see notes below for small-batch version):

• 2 cups ( 475 g ) heavy cream
• 1 cup ( 237 grams ) 2% or whole milk
• 8 large egg yolks
• 12 oz ( 340 grams ) bittersweet chocolate chips or chocolate bars broken into small pieces (Guittard 66-72% cacao chocolate wafers makes for an especially delicious flavor)
• ½ cup ( 100 grams ) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 to 4 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional

for the whipped cream:

• 1 cup ( 237 grams ) heavy cream
• 1/4 cup ( 25 grams ) confectioners’ sugar + more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon plus more to taste flaky sea salt such as Maldon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat the cream and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until scalding hot. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the eggs.
2. Return the milk mixture to the pan, reduce the heat to low, and whisk until it thickens, about 1 minute, or until it coats the back of a spoon. Note: rely less on time here and more on visual cues: you want the custard to coat the back of a spoon; if you dip a spoon or spatula into the custard and then run your finger through the custard coating the spoon, a clear line should remain. T his is the critical step. It’s important that the milk mixture thickens otherwise the final mixture will never set.
3. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and sugar; whisk until melted. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine. Taste. Season with more sea salt to taste — I always a few more pinches to taste. Add the vanilla and booze, if using. Start with 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, then add more to taste, stirring after each addition—the mixture might look thin, especially if you add 4 tablespoons of booze, but it will thicken in the fridge. Divide the mixture between eight to ten 6-oz. ramekins or serving glasses. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile: make the whipped cream: Beat the cream with a whisk or with the whip of a stand mixer. When it begins to form soft peaks, add the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and vanilla. Continue to beat until the peaks get firmer, but are still soft and pillowy. Taste. Add more sugar if it’s not sweet enough; add more salt to taste. I like the whipped cream to not be too sweet because the pot de crème is sweet and rich on its own. I typically add a pinch more salt and a pinch more sugar.
5. To serve, bring the pot de creme to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving. Spoon whipped cream over chocolate. Shave chocolate over top.

Notes

If you want to just make this for 2 people, use these proportions:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 teaspoons Grand Marnier, optional

For the whipped cream, use these proportions:

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

• pinch sea salt

• splash vanilla

• Prep Time: 30 minutes

• Category: Dessert

• Method: Stovetop

• Cuisine: American, French

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2018/02/13/chocolate-pots-de-creme-stovetop-method-no-water-bath/

In the fall of 2016, I posted a recipe for curried apple and egg salad . It was pictured piled atop slices of quinoa-flax bread, a recipe I couldn’t yet share because it, or a variation of it, would appear in Bread Toast Crumbs the following April.

I’ve been meaning to share the recipe ever since BTC made its way into the world because it’s one of my favorites—of the 40 variations of the peasant bread included in the book, this (along with a variation of the focaccia ) is the one I make most often.

Like all of the bread recipes in BTC , this one is simple—stir together dry ingredients, add wet, mix to form a sticky dough ball. There is no need to cook the quinoa before adding it to the dough, and I love how it, along with the flax seed, punctuate the loaves with red and brown specks, offering the loveliest crunch throughout.

I prefer making 1.5 times the recipe in BTC and baking it in loaf pans, because we go through it so quickly: my husband and I toast this bread for breakfast nearly every day—it’s so filling and satisfying.

As always: for best results use a scale to measure the ingredients. More than anything else, a scale will make bread baking a breeze.

Quinoa and flax seeds. No need to cook the quinoa ahead of time. I don’t rinse it anymore either. I love using the red quinoa because it looks so pretty in the finished loaf, but you can use any kind of quinoa you have on hand.

The mixed dough should be wet and sticky but should be able to hold together in a rough ball.

Let it rise:

Divide the dough:

Place in buttered loaf pans:

Let it rise again:

Bake it:

Here’s another step-by-step visual guide. This dough I mixed at night before going to sleep, so I used cold water and 1 teaspoon yeast. On the left is the dough destined for loaf pans; on the right is the dough destined for Pyrex bowls . Tip: You can do the long (12 to 18 hours), overnight rise with any bread you bake by simply cutting back the yeast to 1/2 or 1 teaspoon and using cold water in place of lukewarm—just keep in mind that the second rise will take much longer. You have to be patient—when the dough crowns the rim of the vessel it is in, it’s ready for the oven.

Delicious with soft-boiled eggs :

And a pinch of dukkah :

Also delicious as the base of a beet and avocado tartine :

Bread in the kitchen! Almost there … waiting on the hood and some shelves and some molding. I’ll keep you posted. Update: Kitchen is done: Kitchen Reveal.

Description

Adapted from my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs .

This is essentially 1.5 times the recipe in BTC . It’s baked in two buttered loaf pans (as opposed to two Pyrex bowls ). I love it toasted for breakfast smeared with butter and salt or almond butter — it’s so filling and satisfying. See notes below for baking it in 2 Pyrex bowls.

• To create a warm place for your dough to rise, preheat your oven for 1 minute, then shut it off—you should be able to place your hands on the oven grates; it should be about 100ºF.

• 6 cups ( 768 g ) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ( 15 g ) kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ( 12 g ) sugar
• 2½ teaspoons ( 10 g ) instant yeast
• 3/4 cup ( 132 g ) red quinoa
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons ( 52 g ) flax seed or ground flax seed
• 3 cups ( 681 g ) lukewarm water, made my combining 2.25 cups cold water with .75 cups boiling water
• 1/3 cup ( 66 g ) olive oil
• 2 to 3 tablespoons softened butter

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Add quinoa and flax seeds and toss to coat. Add the water followed by the oil. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the flour is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball.
2. Cover bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot* to rise for 1½ to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in bulk.
3. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease two loaf pans with the softened butter—be generous. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it towards the center. Rotate the bowl quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball as you bring it towards the center.
4. Using your two forks and working from the center out, separate the dough into two equal halves. Use the forks to lift each half of dough into the prepared pans. If the dough is too wet to transfer with forks, lightly grease your hands with butter or oil, then transfer each half to bowls. Let the dough rise for 20 to 30 minutes on the countertop near the oven (or other warm, draft-free spot) or until the top of the dough just crowns the rim of the pans.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden all around. Remove bowls from oven and turn loaves out onto cooling racks. If the loaves look pale or feel soft, return them to their pans, and bake 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven, turn out onto cooling rack, and let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Notes

If using two buttered Pyrex bowls, use these proportions:

• 4 cups (512 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast

• ½ cup red quinoa

• ¼ cup flax seed

• 2 cups lukewarm water, made my combining 1.5 cups cold water with .5 cups boiling water

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 to 2 tablespoons softened butter

• Prep Time: 3 hours

• Cook Time: 45 minutes

• Category: Bread

• Method: No-Knead

• Cuisine: American