I first introduced you to my Easy Chocolate Pots de Crème in early 2015 and it has remained our favorite chocolate dessert since. It’s the sweet treat my husband requests the most and is always a hit with our guests. We’ve gotten many emails from our readers echoing the same sentiment. I recently had a faaaaaabulous bar of chocolate spiked with red hot chili pepper and with Cinco de Mayo coming up it got me thinking: Why not give our favorite French chocolate dessert a Mexican twist? And so these Easy Mexican Chocolate Pots de Crème were born. Laced with a touch of red chili pepper and hint of cinnamon, the flavors will very subtly linger on your palate and give the chocolate a wonderful and mysterious depth. These pots de creme are super easy to make, take about 5 minutes of prep time, and are sure to make your taste buds sing! Plus they have no added sugar beyond what is in the dark chocolate – double score!
Let’s get started! You only need a few ingredients but you want to make sure they’re top quality. Use your favorite chocolate. Traditionally pot de crème calls for dark chocolate, which pairs especially well with chili and cinnamon and that’s what we also recommend. Trust me, even if you’re generally not a dark chocolate fan (I myself prefer milk chocolate), you will LOVE pot de crème. Just trust me on this. Use quality cinnamon (I like Saigon) and pure Mexican vanilla extract. Mexican vanilla beans have a wonderfully rich, spicy and woody fragrance and flavor. You’re ready to roll!
Place the heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the egg yolks.
Add the salt, cinnamon and red chili pepper and whisk to combine, whisking continually as the liquid begins to just barely bubble. DO NOT BRING TO A BOIL. It’s ready when the consistency is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Turn off the heat and add the chocolate to the hot custard.
Whisk until smooth.
Add the Mexican vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
Pour the mixture into a blender and blend it for a few seconds. (Note: I usually just place the chocolate chunks directly in the blender and then pour the hot custard over it and blend. Either way works.) Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the serving ramekins. Place some plastic wrap on top, gently pressing it down on the surface of the chocolate to prevent a film from forming while it chills. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours or until set (I often chill them overnight). For a softer consistency, let them sit for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Heavenly liquid chocolate!
Serve with whipped cream sprinkled with chocolate shavings and a half cinnamon stick. Enjoy!
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