When I was a little girl, my mom would serve us pot de creme only once or twice a year, and we could not wait to have it.  Her presentation was so elegant.  We received our pots in lusterous ivory china demi-tasse cups and served with real silver demi-tasse spoons.  I felt like a princess.

At the time in Georgia, we did not have access to dark chocolate, so the chocolate we would eat was Hershey’s milk or the like.  While I certainly wouldn’t kick it off the table, I was not a huge fan.  I remember sneaking into the kitchen and rummaging through the baking supplies to find the bittersweet baking chocolate, bitter, dark, and rich without being too sweet.  That was the stuff.

So, when my mom made pot de creme, it was like a revelation.  No milk chocolate in sight.  These were definitely, thankfully, not chocolate puddings.  Wanting to savor every moment, it took me forever to finish my little cupful taking the tiniest bites with my fairy sized spoon.

Recently, my mom shared a recipe for pot de creme with me that she thought that I’d like to try out with the kids since it was baked in the oven.  Our family recipe is made at the stovetop, and the mini-chefs cannot take as active a role in their making.  I made minor changes and spiked it with our favorite Mexican chocolate flavorings.  Below is the amended recipe and suggestions for flavoring it with your family’s own favorites.

While the use of a ramekin in place of the demi-tasse cup is a big let down for me in the presentation department, there were no complaints from my family.  There was only silence and the sounds of spoon hitting ramekin.

Chocolate Pot de Creme (with variations)

makes 8 ramekins

• 2 1/2 c. half and half
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips, chopped a bit
• 8 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 T. vanilla
• 2 T. cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1 1/2 t. cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 t. ancho chili powder (optional)
• 1/4 t. salt
• variations: to vary the flavor, you can cut the vanilla to 1 t., eliminate the cinnamon and ancho chili powder and try 1 T. coconut extract, almond extract, mint extract, brandy, kirsch, creme de menthe, Kahlua, orange liquer, etc.   The alcohol will evaporate if you’re worried about serving to mini-chefs
• for serving: whipped cream, berries, a dusting of cocoa powder, a small dusting of cinnamon, shaved chocolate, heart candies (red hots are pretty), etc., chocolate covered espresso beans, candied orange peel, etc. to enhance the flavor and beauty of the variation you’ve made

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the half and half to a simmer over medium heat, whisking every once in a while.
4. Remove from the heat and add the sugar and the chocolate chips.  Whisk it a few times and then let stand for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate completely melts.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder, and salt.
6. When the chocolate chips are melted, add half of the chocolate chip mixture to the egg yolk mixture and have whisk them together.  Repeat with the other half.
7. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to strain out any last bits of unmelted chocolate. (We like to pour into a large measuring cup or bowl with a pourable edge to make the next step easier.
8. Place 8 ramekins in 2 baking dishes or a large roasting pan. Pour the strained mixture into 8 small ramekins, dividing it evenly among the dishes.
9. Big Person: Pour the boiling water from the kettle all around the ramekins (but NOT IN!) so that it comes about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
10. Place the prepared pans with the ramekins in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or till set in the middle and very glossy on top.
11. Cool and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.