May as well kick the meal up at the end with a dose of spice and class!
Chocolate is delightful when combined with a little chili spice. I love to make what I call Chili Fudge every Christmas, and this dish is a traditional Pot de Creme that’s been kicked up with a little of that spice.
Ingredients
21/4 cups light cream or half and half
2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
41/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks
11/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
Boiling water
Lightly sweetened whipped cream for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Add the cayenne, cover, and set aside to steep for 45 minutes.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate and 1/2 cup of the spicey cream and cook over low heat, stirring, until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the sugar and salt. Stir the remaining strained cream into the saucepan. Gently warm the chocolate cream over low heat.
3. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks until slightly thickened. At low speed, beat in one-fourth of the warm chocolate cream along with the vanilla. Return the mixture to the chocolate cream in the saucepan and cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Set six 4-ounce ramekins in a baking pan and divide the custard among them. Fill the pan with enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with foil and poke seeveral holes in the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cuastards are just set and a dark rim has formed around the edge. Remove the foil and let the custards cool in the water, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours. Served with whipped cream.
Full Disclosure: I love the heat of these little Dessert Bombs, but there were scattered reports of Too Spicey from some attendees. If you want to make this dessert (and it is easy), consider where you are on the Spicey Food Continuum and maybe dial back the Cayenne. Don’t go to less than half what I’ve listed though or you won’t be able to taste it!