Chocolate Pots

…take 2! Once again in my over enthusiasm I hit publish instead of save when starting to type up this post. So last night some of you got an email with some lovely pics of my Chocolate Pots, but no text. I clearly can’t contain my excitement when it comes to chocolate recipes!

In all honesty though, my enthusiasm here is entirely justified. These pots are ridiculously easy to make and so rich and tasty. I used to make ones that required baking in a bain marie in the oven but to be honest I don’t think the extra effort was worth it. This are just whizz it up, pour into the pots and stick it into the fridge. Very Jamie Oliver! They are probably ready to eat after 4 hours but they benefit from being in the fridge overnight. It allows the flavours to develop. So that also makes them the perfect make ahead dessert.

The texture of these pots is dense, rich and smooth. A little goes a long way so I make them in these dinky little cups and that way you can have two! If you are looking for a lighter textured chocolate treat, this Chocolate Mousse is a great option.

I’ve used rum in these, feel free to use Baileys, Cointreau or brandy. Or leave out the alcohol altogether if you like. Don’t be tempted to add more, these taste of the alcohol develops as the pots set.

I also attempted honeycomb for the very first time. It wasn’t great as you can see in the pics. I followed a celeb chef’s recipe – he shall remain nameless – and his suggestion to allow the caramel to cool slightly meant that it didn’t foam up when I added the bicarb. So the honeycomb was dense but still tasted good. I will make again and report back!

Makes 500ml, serves 4 – ish

Ingredients:

• 100g of good quality dark chocolate, I use Lindt 70%
• 200ml of double cream
• 50ml of whole milk
• 1 tbsp of soft dark brown sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp of dark rum
• 1 tsp of vanilla essence
• a pinch of salt

Method:

• Break the chocolate into small pieces. Use a heavy saucepan to gently heat the cream anf milk until they are starting to bubble around the edges. Take it off the heat and add the chocolate pieces to the hot cream. Give it a minute and then stir until all the chocolate has melted into the cream and you have a nice glossy ganache in the pan.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until pale and doubled in size.
• Very slowly pour the warm ganache onto the egg mixture. Whisk the whole time as if making a custard. When the ganache and eggs have been fully incorporated, pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
• Put the pan back over a low heat, add the rum, vanilla and salt and very slowly stir the mixture until it starts to thicken a little. Keep the heat low as you don’t want the eggs to scramble.
• When it has thickened slightly – you don’t need it as thick as custard – pour it into a jug to make it easier to pour into your cups or ramekins.
• When the pots have cooled, cover with cling film and put them into the fridge to set.
• Take the pots out of the fridge for a while before you serve them to allow them to come to room temperature. Serve with a little whipped cream and a strawberry or raspberry. Some candied orange peel would be a good option too. For texture, have a biscuit or shortbread or successful honeycomb for a bit of crunch.