Chocolate Espresso Pots De Creme

What could be better than chocolate or espresso? Chocolate AND espresso combined, of course! Guests will go crazy for this decadent dessert that melts in your mouth.

Ingredients

• 6 Oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 Cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder* 6 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Special equipment: 8 (4- to 5- Oz ) ramekins or pot de creme cups
• Garnish: bittersweet chocolate curls (see cooks' note, below)

Directions

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300F.
• Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream, milk, espresso powder (to taste), and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until espresso powder is dissolved, then pour over chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth
• .Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in another bowl, then add warm chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure and cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes
• .Line bottom of a baking pan (large enough to hold ramekins) with a folded kitchen towel and arrange ramekins on towel. Poke several holes in a large sheet of foil with a skewer. Divide custard among ramekins, then bake custards in a hot water bath, pan covered tightly with foil, until custards are set around edges but still slightly wobbly in centers, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Transfer ramekins to a rack to cool completely, uncovered, about 1 hour. (Custards will set as they cool.) Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.
• Gourmet the Easy Way Note:
• Pots de creme can chill up to 2 days.
• To make chocolate curls, shave off curls from a piece of chocolate at room temperature using a vegetable peeler.