Chocolate Pots de Creme (Blender version)

The best Valentine gift I can give you - my favorite chocolate dessert!!  This one is super fast (like 5 minutes fast!!!) and SO rich!!  Serve it in elegant little glasses or demitasse cups for a special dinner.  You can garnish the cups with a dusting of confectioners sugar OR a rosette of whipped cream (real whipped cream - PLEASE do not put Cool Whip on this!!) and a little candied flower or just a few decorative "jimmies" (sprinkles).  This is NOT chocolate pudding - it is VERY rich so the servings are small.

Chocolate Pots de Creme

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup dark chocolate (or bittersweet) chocolate chips
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp espresso powder or instant espresso (I use 1 T Kahlua mixed with 1 t instant coffee crystals)

garnish:
1/4 cup heavy cream

confectioners sugar

candied flowers or jimmies


Procedure:
Put the chocolate, the eggs, and the vanilla in a blender. Blend/pulse briefly to break down the chocolate.

Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan on the stove until it just comes to a boil 

Add the Kahlua/coffee mixture to the blender.  Put the lid without the centerpiece on the blender and turn it on.

While the blender is running, pour the hot cream in a slow steady stream into the hole in the top of the blender. The mixture will thicken and become creamy. Let the blender run until everything is smooth.

Pour the chocolate into small cups (you might need to let it cool a bit more before putting it into glasses - check the temperature!) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, whip the 1/4 cup cream with a little confectioners sugar and top each serving with a dollop (or pipe a rosette) and a few small colorful blossoms or a sprinkling of jimmies.

If you really want to up the "wow" factor, invest in some small demitasse spoons - the kids will think this is the coolest thing ever.   

I've also made this with Frangelico and with Raspberry and Creme deMenthe liqueurs.  You can leave the alcohol out entirely and just use strong coffee, too.