A simple chocolate pleasure at its best.

A classic French luscious chocolate dessert made with a homemade vanilla custard flavored with fresh chocolate pieces. This is one of my favorite chocolate desserts and brings back fond memories from my childhood. Follow this recipe tutorial to recreate this authentic dessert so you can see for yourself.

INGREDIENTS

• 300 ml (10 fl oz) milk

• 200 ml (6.8 fl oz) cream

• 6 egg yolks

• 100 g (3.5 oz) fine white granulated sugar (caster sugar)

• 1 fresh vanilla bean or a few teaspoons of vanilla essence

• 200 g (7 oz) 70% chocolate (chocolate bar)

MISE EN PLACE

Measure all the ingredients. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Break the chocolate bar into small pieces and place them in a large bowl.

Method

Instructions:

1. To make the custard, pour the milk and cream into a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half, scrape the seeds, and add both the husk and seeds to the milk and cream mixture. Turn the heat to medium and warm until just before boiling.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl for a minute until the mixture thickens slightly and becomes a bit pale. Once the milk and cream are hot enough, turn off the heat and pour half of the mixture through a sieve over the egg and sugar mixture. Stir gently to combine, then add the rest of the milk mixture and stir again.

3. Transfer the custard back into the pan you used to warm the milk. Turn the heat to medium and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it reaches 80°C (176°F). If you don’t have a food thermometer, keep an eye on the foam sitting on top; as soon as it disappears, the custard should be ready. You can now turn off the heat.

4. To turn the custard into the chocolate dessert, pour half of the custard over the chocolate and mix well with a spatula to combine. Then add the rest of the custard and continue stirring until you get a smooth chocolate cream.

5. Pour the cream into a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Once the chocolate custard is completely chilled, pour it into glasses or cups. Whip the cream with the sugar, then transfer it to a piping bag. Add a generous swirl of whipped cream over the chocolate, add some toppings, and serve immediately.

TIP

You can make the chocolate custard the day before and keep it in a bowl in the fridge, covered. For the whipped cream, I recommend using powdered sugar for a smoother texture. you can also use the chocolate mixture after it is done and turn it into ice cream.

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