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    Home » dessert » chocolate » Pass the Cookbook Club: Mocha-Cinnamon Pots de Creme

    Pass the Cookbook Club: Mocha-Cinnamon Pots de Creme

    Feb 28, 2013 · 16 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    Mocha Pots de Creme

    I'm obviously a sucker for punishment. I mean, I've been swamped on both the work and life fronts, and yet here I am signing up for yet another monthly blogging event.

    On the other hand, this event happens to be hosted by the lovely Kita of Pass the Sushi, who is totally the cat's pyjamas as far as I'm concerned. So there was no way I wasn't hopping on this bandwagon as it rolled by.

    Mocha-Cinnamon Pots de Creme

    It also helps that I can totally relate to her goal. Who doesn't want to dust off all those cookbooks that are sitting neglected on her bookshelf and finally try those delicious-looking recipes?

    For our inaugural journey, we're cooking for The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond.

    Kita picked three recipes - Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Perfect Potatoes Au Gratin and Pots de Creme. As you can probably guess from the title of this post, I picked the last option, mostly because I never pass up the opportunity to make something with chocolate.

    Chopping Chocolate

    An Easier Way to Make a Pot de Creme

    Traditionally, a pot de creme is an oven-baked custard that's cooked in a water bath. In other words, it's basically a creme brulee without the delicious burnt-sugar topping.

    Somewhere along the way, some genius realised you could get a perfectly reasonable fascimile by buzzing together eggs, chocolate and hot cream in a blender, and the refrigerating until set.

    This person is obviously deserving of sainthood, along with the inventor of the dishwasher and the fashionista who made it cool to wear rainboots in public. (Whoever you are, you wonderful ingenious people you, I am deeply indebted to you all.)

    The Pioneer Woman's version takes it one step further and replaces the cream with piping hot coffee.  This results in a pot de creme with a deep, dark chocolatey flavour and way less calories than the real deal.

    (Of course, if you want to be nitpicky, that means it's technically a pot de café rather than a pot de creme... but that's just details.)

    Mocha-Cinnamon Pots de Creme

    Making a Great Dessert Even Better

    My biggest complaint about the Pioneer Woman's recipe is that the coffee flavour didn't really come through in the end product. All it does is give the chocolate a little more oomph, which I'm sure is fine for most people, but not for a coffee junkie like me.

    That's why on my second go-round with this recipe, I decided to add a spoonful of instant espresso powder to give the finished pot de cream a true mocha flavour. 

    And then, while I was at it, I added a dash of cinnamon, because everyone knows that the only thing better than chocolate and coffee is chocolate and coffee and cinnamon.

    Last of all, because I'm a chocolate snob, I put the chocolate chips back in the cupboard and chopped up a bar of proper dark chocolate instead. (There's a time and place for chocolate chips, but this recipe ain't it. When the chocolate the main ingredient, I firmly believe in busting out the good stuff.)

    Mocha-Cinnamon Pots de Creme

    Good Things Come in Small Packages

    The last change I made to the recipe was to halve all of the quantities. Because really, unless you've got an entire ranch to feed, when was the last time you needed 10-12 portions of dessert?

    My version below makes six very reasonable portions, which are a little smallish but still pack a wallop... especially once they're topped with a generous spoonful of whipped cream.

    Let me tell you... this is totally my kind of dessert.  It's ridiculously easy, deeply chocolatey, and decadently rich.

    Best of all, it's not overly sweet, because dark chocolate has a much lower sugar content than semisweet chocolate chips, which is just the way I like it. (If you've got a sweet tooth, you can add a tablespoon or two of sugar in with the chocolate and eggs.)

    Mocha-Cinnamon Pots de Creme

    In other words, it's probably a good thing I didn't make a full batch, or else I'd be in a chocolate coma. :)

    //

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    Mocha-Cinnamon Pots de Creme

    Mocha-Cinnamon Pots de Creme


    ★★★★★

    4.7 from 3 reviews

    • Author: Isabelle Boucher
    • Total Time: 3 hours
    • Yield: 4 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Don't let the fancy Frenchified name fool you... this rich, chocolatey dessert comes together in a matter of minutes. All you need is a blender, some good-quality chocolate, and a pot of piping-hot coffee to get you on your way.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Pots de Creme

    • 6 oz good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
    • 2 eggs, at room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
    • ½ tsp instant espresso powder
    • Pinch salt
    • 4 oz very hot fresh-brewed coffee

    Whipped Cream Topping

    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 1 tbsp sugar
    • Dash cinnamon

    Instructions

    1. In a blender, combine chocolate, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, espresso powder and salt. Pulse 5-7 times, or until the chocolate is finely chopped and eggs are frothy.
    2. Turn the blender on low speed, and slowly pour in the coffee in a steady stream. The heat of the coffee will melt the chocolate, creating a smooth, thick custard.
    3. Pour the custard into 6 serving dishes, distributing evenly (you can use small mason jars, ramekins, pretty tea cups or whatever else catches your eye). Arrange the filled dishes on a tray and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or until firm.
    4. When ready to serve, whip the cream to soft peaks. Add sugar, and whisk until incorporated. Spoon a large dollop of cream onto each pot de creme, and finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond

    • Prep Time: 3 hours
    • Category: Dessert

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    Comments

    1. Barbara says

      March 1, 2013 at 6:56 pm

      Just found your site...looks fantastic....
      When I tried to 'join' the "Pass the cookbook Club" it just took me to your (?) facebook sign in page???

      Reply
      • Isabelle Boucher says

        March 3, 2013 at 6:32 pm

        Thanks for stopping by, Barbara! The Pass the Cookbook Club is currently run as a Facebook group, which is why you got the login screen - if you have a Facebook profile, simply log in with your usual username and password, and you'll be taken to the group's page where you can sign up to join.

        Reply
    2. Jen @ Juanita's Cocina says

      February 28, 2013 at 7:26 pm

      *sigh* I love purty food. <3

      Reply
    3. bellini says

      February 28, 2013 at 5:48 pm

      A chocolate coma it is!!

      Reply
    4. dixya @ food, pleasure, and health says

      February 28, 2013 at 3:16 pm

      what a lovely post and thanks for all the details on pots de creme. I will never pass up any opportunity for a chocolate dessert :) i made the same dessert but followed the recipe exactly- adding coffee reduced calories + i love how it was present subtly.

      Reply
    5. Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says

      February 28, 2013 at 2:57 pm

      Love that you served them in the mugs.

      Reply
    6. Suzanne says

      February 28, 2013 at 1:38 pm

      Yum, these look divine and I love your photos.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. nicole @ I am a Honey Bee says

      February 28, 2013 at 1:10 pm

      that changes you made sound delightful.
      very good idea to halve the recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says

      February 28, 2013 at 12:05 pm

      After seeing these and Kristen's, I am really wishing I made the pots de creme! They look amazing!

      Reply
    9. Camilla @ Culinary Adventures says

      February 28, 2013 at 11:53 am

      LOVE your addition of cinnamon. This was my pick, too. I subbed in espresso for the coffee because, well, I'm a coffee nut. I'll add cinnamon next time. Nice job.

      Reply
    10. Kristen says

      February 28, 2013 at 11:42 am

      I was impressed with how easy these babies came together. My crew inhaled the entire batch in about 30 seconds flat, and then were standing at the open refrigerator looking for more.

      Love your addition of cinnamon!

      Reply
    11. kelly @ kellybakes says

      February 28, 2013 at 11:31 am

      WHY OH WHY OH WHY OH WHY DID I GIVE UP COFFEE FOR LENT?!! ::headdesk::

      ahem.

      I mean, these look delicious. What a lovely, chocolatey treat. I will wait patiently until Lent is over before making these. I will not curse myself for my poor decisions, nor will I shake my fist angrily in the air, nor fall down to my knees, throw my head back and cry "NOOOOOO!!!!" at my computer screen. Of course not.

      Reply
    12. Samantha @FerraroKitchen says

      February 28, 2013 at 11:15 am

      Hahaha oh my did you crack me up! I am still in search for cute rainboots and it never rains here in Cali!

      Reply
    13. kita says

      February 28, 2013 at 9:29 am

      I looove the pics. The one of the chopped chocolate with the book in the background is beautiful. Second, I've always wanted to be the cat’s pajamas!!! Lol, thanks for the giggle this morning. Looking forward to next months post already ;D

      Reply
    14. Aurora Importing says

      February 28, 2013 at 9:07 am

      Maybe the final product doesn't taste much like coffee... but I have the feeling is as addictive and good as the best coffee!!

      ★★★★

      Reply

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    Hello! I'm Isabelle, and this is my blog. I'm a 40-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, trucker-swearing self-taught cook with a major addiction to vintage cookbooks. Come for the recipes, stay for the terrible puns! Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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