Pots de Creme - #‎thebookclubcookbookCC

These glorious little Pots de Creme are a simple nod to why I love chocolate...

...and they are also a great nod to the book, Chocolat by Joanne Harris.

For June, as part of The Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew, Sarah invited us to read and cook from Chocolat with her. I was thrilled. I was a huge fan of the movie from 2000 starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp - *swoon*. I remember watching it almost nightly when I worked in a little campus video store (remember those?). It was one of my favorite movies to pop in as I waited for closing. Cute music, witty banter and ... lots of chocolate!

Be sure to keep reading, there is a giveaway for a copy of The Book Club Cookbook at the end of the post. I have had so much fun reading a selection and cooking as inspired by the book. Our year is coming to a close soon, but I still have more books to read and food to enjoy. I hope you will keep going with me.

I was excited to finally read Chocolat. Sadly, as a college student my time was usually spent in textbooks, and I rarely had the time to read "good" books.

I have to tell you, the book is far better than even the magic of film! Vianne's internal dialogue is much funnier than even what Juliette Binoche could portray on screen. Even as she helped those around her with the magic of her chocolate and understanding, the complexity of her character was wonderful. She came in as an outcast and ended up bringing the community so much more than they could have imagined.

I ended up going for a classic treat, Pots de Creme (pronounced "Po de Krehm"). Lusciously smooth and chocolatey, I am sure it is exactly what Vianne would have selected for me. I just love how in the book she claims to know everyone's favorite! This dessert really makes my heart sing.

Besides tasting divine, this is also an easy treat to make.

Of course, it begins with chopped semi-sweet chocolate.

I have seen a few different ways to make this simple dessert, but decided to cook my custard over the stove and then add to the blender to melt and whip up the chocolate.

The eggs, milk, cream and sugar are ready when they coat the back of a spoon easily.

Then pour into ramekins or small dishes and chill for 2-4 hours before serving.

Serve with whipped cream, and garnish with fresh mint and fruit. My daughter insisted we go with the chocolate mint here. I think it worked nicely.

Pots de Creme

You will need:

• 9 oz. semisweet chocolate chopped
• 1 tsp. espresso powder
• 1 1/2 c. whole milk
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 5 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the chopped chocolate and espresso powder in a blender and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar and salt. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the vanilla and pour the hot mixture into the blender. 

Take care to cover the blender and lid with a heavy towel. I like to vent my top slightly, but cover with the towel to prevent messes. Blend until smooth.

Pour into ramekins or glasses and chill for 2-4 hours. Serve with whipped cream and garnish with mint and fresh fruit, if desired.

Enjoy! 

Giveaway

This month Sarah at Thing I Make (for Dinner), this month's host, is giving away two copies of the book.* Enter to win a copy of the cookbook so you can join us in future months, if you wish!

TWO of our lucky readers - US and Canada only! - can enter to win a copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, courtesy of Tarcher-Penguin. Giveaway runs from June 1st till June 30th at 6 o'clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Tarcher Books. You may find Tarcher: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

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*Disclosure: Sarah received a complimentary copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp as an opportunity to give a copy away. Opinions are our own. We received no further compensation for our posts.