A heavenly concoction of chocolate and cream to celebrate with the one you love.

Mmm… dessert. It’s one of the pleasures of Valentine’s Day. Some might even say that our enjoyment of a satisfying dessert can eclipse the feelings evoked by the romantic nature of the rest of the day’s pursuits! This year, treat yourself and the ones you love to something a little out of the ordinary. Let go of the notion of dark, whipped chocolates in a heart-shaped box and instead try a little light fantastic with these delicious, decadent pots de crème confections made with cream, eggs and pure white chocolate.
 

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
• 225 g white chocolate, chopped
• 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• Pinch salt

Directions

1 Combine the cream, milk, vanilla bean pod and seeds in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly; reduce heat to low. Add the chopped chocolate a handful at a time, stirring until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

2 Whisk the eggs and yolk in a separate bowl until pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add to the cream mixture, whisking constantly until well combined. Add the salt and remove the vanilla pod. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a one-quart measuring cup.

3 Preheat the oven to 325°F.

4 Place eight ramekins or custard cups in two metal baking pans or casserole dishes. Carefully divide custard among the cups. Slowly pour enough hot water into the base of the baking pan to cover ¾ of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, poking several holes into the foil with a skewer to let the steam escape.

5 Bake the custards in the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, until centres are just set. Remove from the oven and place the ramekins on a work surface; let stand for about 15 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

TIP: The pots de crème can be made the day before and chilled until ready to serve.

Serves eight.