Chocolate Pot de Crme with Chantilly Cream

Nicole Plue

Pastry Chef, Julia's Kitchen, Copia

Ingredients:

13 ounces 64 percent high quality chocolate, chopped

2 cups milk

2 cups cream

8 egg yolks

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Place chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium-size pot, combine milk and cream. Heat over a medium flame until it just begins to boil. Meanwhile, combine yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk to fully combine.

When the milk mixture has begun to boil, turn off the heat. Slowly ladle the hot mixture onto the yolk mixture, mixing thoroughly with each addition. When fully combined, return the mixture to the pot and place over a medium low flame. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, approximately 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove the thickened custard and strain through a fine strainer. Pour about half of the custard over the chocolate. Let sit 1 to 2 minutes and then stir to melt the chocolate and combine. Slowly add the remaining custard, whisking until smooth.

Pour the custard into serving containers and chill until set. Garnish with a small dollop of whipped crme frache or cream. Serves eight

Orange Shortbread with Chocolate Chips

Nicole Plue

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

1 large egg yolk

3 tablespoons heavy cream

8 ounces dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar, orange zest, and orange extract, beating until fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and cream. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture; beat until the dough comes together in clumps. By hand, stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Lightly moisten your fingers and flatten each ball into a 1/2-inch circle. Bake about 15 minutes, or until cookies are set.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies