Giving in to Dark Chocolate Custard — Craquer pour un pot de crème au chocolat noir
“Is the recipe on your blog?” my friend H. asked after he finished his dessert, cleaning his glass so thoroughly that it clearly showed that he would happily have gone for a second serving. But for once, I actually did not make more than the number in our dinner group. There were only six desserts for the six of us sitting around our long dining-room table on last Friday night.
“Not yet, but it will be soon,” I replied, excited to find out that he had really enjoyed it.
“Where did you buy these cookies?” he added, with his mouth full. “I love them!”
I smiled. He was really enjoying the dessert, yet so simple to put together!
“Ah ben c’est moi qui les ai faits!” (I made them!) I answered. “They are called langues de chat in French, literally cat’s tongues.”
H. was sitting next to me and I just felt like starting to explain and talk about the dessert, carried away by the fact that he was interested and all ears.
“C’est très simple en fait,” I said (it is really simple).
Simple and extremely satisfying, of the type of dessert where one or two extra spoonfuls always seem to be necessary, as proven by H. desperately dipping his spoon deep in the glass, in the hope of finding more. For a second, I even thought that he might have done just like my dog used to do: lick the bottom.
“It is just a simple custard, you know, with dark chocolate, milk, cream, egg yolks and sugar. The important thing is to never let the cream boil, otherwise it is over,” I went on.
H. looked at me and burst loudly into a laughter. “It is over,” he said, repeating my words. “I love the way you say this. It is over!”
“C’est vraiment fini!”
“So can you have little bubbles?” he then asked seriously.
It was my turn to look at him and laugh. “Bubbles? No H.! Bubbles means boiling. Didn’t I just say it should never boil?”
Of course you can always save a custard (rattraper une crème anglaise) if it boils (quand elle tourne), that is when the egg yolks boil. To do so, simply pour the cream in a glass bottle and shake energetically for 2 to 3 min, or place it in a cold recipient and whip with an electrical mixer. The custard will be smooth and creamy again.
A few days later, I received an email from T., H.’s wife, to thank us for dinner. And this was how it ended:
“H. is actually trying to make the dessert as I am writing” .
I wonder how it went — considering H. did not then have the full recipe — and whether he actually let the cream make bubbles or not!
I have asked but H. has not yet answered.
I wonder now…
You need:
- 6 egg yolks*
- 1/2 cup (3 1/5 oz) organic blond cane sugar
- 4 1/4 oz dark chocolate, 70% or 64% cocoa, according to taste (I used Valrhona)
- 1 2/3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup minus 1 Tbsp heavy cream
- Colored seasonal fruits as you prefer, such as raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums or apricots
* you will use the egg whites for the Langues de chat, Cat’s Tongues
Steps:
- Break the chocolate in pieces and melt in a double boiler (or place in a bowl over a pot full of simmering water).
- In a pot, heat the cream and milk on medium heat, until first gentle boil. Stop.
- Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until white and airy.
- Add the melted chocolate to the egg/sugar mixture. Mix well.
- Add the hot milk/cream and continue to mix with a wooden spoon.
- Pour the cream in the pot again. Heat on low to medium to thicken the cream (do never let boil), never ceasing to mix. The cream is ready when it coats the spoon.
- Pour the cream in small glasses or ramekins and let cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the fridge. The cream thickens even more when it cools and is cold.
- When you are ready to serve, slice your fruit and serve with the chocolate custard, and cat’s tongues (vanilla and Matcha tea, recipe soon to follow).
Ingrédients :
- 6 jaunes d’oeuf*
- 90 g de sucre de canne
- 120 g de chocolat noir à 64 ou 70 % de cacao, selon goût (j’ai utilisé Valrhona)
- 400 ml de lait entier
- 100 ml de crème liquide
- Fruits colorés de saison selon envie, tels que framboises, mûres, pêches, prunes ou abricots
* vous utiliserez les blancs d’oeuf pour confectionner les Langues de chat
Étapes :
- Cassez le chocolat grossièrement en morceaux et faites le fondre au bain-marie.
- Dans une casserole, faites chauffer le lait et la crème sur feu moyen.
- Battez les jaunes d’oeuf avec le sucre jusqu’à blanchiment.
- Ajoutez le chocolat fondu au mélange oeufs et sucre, et mélangez bien.
- Versez le lait chaud et continuez à mélanger avec une cuiller en bois.
- Remettez la crème au chocolat dans une casserole sur le feu, et faites épaissir sur feu doux à moyen en remuant constamment, sans jamais laisser la crème bouillir. La crème est prête une fois qu’elle nappe la cuiller.
- Versez la crème dans des petits verres ou des ramequins, et laissez-la refroidir complètement avant de la filmer et de la mettre au frigo. Elle épaissit en refroidissant.
- Au moment de servir, coupez vos fruits et servez-les avec la crème, et des langues de chat vanille et thé matcha (recette à venir)
Technorati Tags: La Tartine Gourmande, Food Photography, Food Styling, Dark Chocolate, Crème Anglaise, Custard, Valrhona Chocolate, Langues de chat, Cat ’s Tongues, French Dessert
31 Comments »
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Chocolate custard and fresh fruit - yummmm!!! (PS Love the piece of cloth you’re using on the picture - so fragile!)
Comment by Pille — On September, 28th, 2007 at 9:31 am
this sounds so wonderful and fresh fruit, mmm!
Comment by Kat — On September, 28th, 2007 at 9:36 am
oups mais justement j’ai des jaunes en trop mais quel heureux et gourmand hasard
Comment by veronica — On September, 28th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Very cute story! And I love how you describe your custard -so simple but so delightful!
Comment by Anita — On September, 28th, 2007 at 10:10 am
I can just visually taste that lovely creation. Everything about it looks perfect!
Comment by veron — On September, 28th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Beautiful! And what better way to enjoy the last of the Summer fruits?! When in doubt … Chocolate! N’est-ce pas?
Comment by Robyn Vickers — On September, 28th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Encore une superbe recette toute simple toute belle !
Comment by mercotte — On September, 28th, 2007 at 11:44 am
rien de tel que le chocolat pour se remonter le moral, merci du partage et à bientôt
Comment by Eleonora — On September, 28th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
ça y est j’ai craqué ausi
Comment by bergeou — On September, 28th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Béa, Is that something like what part of no (boil) does someone not understand. Bubbles . . . fun story. And cat’s tongues, now those are good - I’ve made them long ago, when it seems long ago because thinking about them makes me think they’d be good today. Alas, no pans and a poor oven in Seattle - must wait for Dallas.
Comment by MyKitchhenInHalfCups — On September, 28th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Aah!! I really owe your friend “H” one. This recipe is fantastic! I love how you top it with all sorts of fruits. Mmmm….
Comment by Hillary — On September, 28th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Quelle excellente idée que l’association chocolat fruits, le chocolat pour la gourmandise et les fruits pour la forme !
Comment by Fabienne — On September, 28th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
I love how the fruit lightens up the brown chocolate.
Comment by peabody — On September, 28th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
I surely enjoyed your story and your photos are fantastic!
Comment by Deb — On September, 28th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Great photo - loved the story!! I like how you use French and English. This is my first time visiting your blog, and i just love it!!!
Comment by [jessica] — On September, 28th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
I think your blog is really cute! And this simple chocolate custard seems perfect for an easy dessert with a lot of wow-factor…
Comment by Linn — On September, 28th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
i enjoy it~
so YUM!!
Comment by YOYO's FOOD — On September, 29th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Quelle belle recette et dessert tout simple a partager en amis. La lumiere sur les photos est tres bien amenee au dessus du fruit. Superbes!
Comment by Tartelette — On September, 30th, 2007 at 1:18 am
Comment veux-tu réister à un truc pareil ? Bien vu les petites langues de chat pour décupler le plaisir gourmand !
Comment by Sophie — On September, 30th, 2007 at 7:19 am
Je craque pour tellement de choses que je veux bien craquer pour ce dessert.
Alors en sais-tu un peu plus sur l’essai de crème de ton ami ?
Comment by Mijo — On October, 1st, 2007 at 5:53 am
This looks delicious! I would definitely have 2 servings.
Do we get a recipe for the Cat’s Tongues too?
Comment by Amy — On October, 1st, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Trop mignon the little story, Bea. You can’t beat simple things. Did you use fairtrade chocolate? They would make a great entry for the Stop the Traffik chocolate compeition .
Comment by R khooks — On October, 1st, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Salut Beatrice! What a wonderful site you have and such luscious photos. I was dreaming about chocolate pots de creme and here they are, on your lovely blog. C’est incroyable
Comment by HolyBasil — On October, 1st, 2007 at 7:29 pm
j’en fais souvent que je fais glacer dans des pts moules à esquimaux (tupperware), c’est une merveille !
Comment by vanessa — On October, 2nd, 2007 at 7:56 am
Merci bien tout le monde. Thanks everyone.
Rachel, I tried to find fairtrade chocolate, but not sure I was successful (the labels were never so clear. In France, it is more obvious it seems). I used Valrhona.
Comment by Béa — On October, 2nd, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Je viens de les essayer hier entre copines, on s’est régalées! Merci pour la recette.
Comment by Thérèse — On October, 3rd, 2007 at 7:33 am
YUM! funny story - tempting dessert!
Comment by chanelle — On October, 5th, 2007 at 12:59 am
Oh yeah, Bea, it will be my pleasure to give in to the dark side!
Just finished reading over your amazing and beautiful journey, what a lucky girl you are!
Comment by s'kat — On October, 5th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Je vais craquer ..et dire que je suis au régime …I don’t care je vais essayer tout de même
Comment by Mélanie — On October, 12th, 2007 at 1:32 am
Looks delish- your pictures are amazing!
But where are the cats tongues??
Comment by Amanda — On October, 15th, 2007 at 4:13 am
[...] was the one who once came over for dinner and ate three chocolate pots de crème made for dessert. I think that if there had been more, he would gladly have eaten [...]
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