Chocolate-Rum Pot de Créme

From Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci .......

Living in the Tropics for almost twenty years, I have become a big fan of dark rum. This is a combination of two of my favorites.

Ingredients:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup dark rum
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tspn pure vanilla extract
2 oz. shaved chocolate

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Mix the cream, rum, vanilla seeds, and the vanilla pod in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium heat until scalding. Pour the mixture over the chocolate in the bowl, remove the vanilla pod, and whisk the mixture until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yolks and granulated sugar.Temper the egg mixture with the warm chocolate mixture. Then return to the stove top over medium heat to thicken slightly and until it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Divide the custard equally among eight 4-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and pour in water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the custards are almost set but still a bit jiggly in the center. Remove from the water bath and let cool for 30 minutes, then put in the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours.
5. Just before serving, whip the cream, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Serve the pots de créme with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with shaved chocolate.

Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci

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