A Baker’s Passport by Sussie Norris
The holidays will soon be here, the time when bakers head to their kitchens to create special treats for family and friends. Always looking for new recipes, I found A Baker’s Passport – Recipes For Breads, Savory Pies, Vegetarian Dishes, Tarts, Cakes, and Cookie Classics by Susie Norris with its 200 classic, and easy to follow recipes to have something for everyone on my list.
A few of my many favorite "travels" from Susie Norris’ A Baker’s Passport include her recipe for Boston Brown Bread from Massachusetts, Rice Balls (Arancini) from Sicily, Italy, Vol-au-Ventswith Lobster-and-Chive-Cream Sauce from Paris, France, Key Lime Pie from The Florida Keys, Irish Stout Cake with Boiler Maker Icing, and the Sacher Torte from the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria.
The next time you feel an urge to travel, albeit by palate, open up Susie Norris’ A Baker’s Passport and travel the world by creating one of the international specialties in the cookbook where no passport, plane tickets, or luggage is required.
While you may not be able to hop on a plane on a whim and take a trip to France, you can treat your palate to a trip to France anytime with Susie Norris’ delectable recipe for Chocolate Pots de Crème from Chantilly, France, which she graciously shares from her book, A Baker’s Passport.
Chocolate Pots de Crème from Chantilly, France
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Level: Medium
"This is the quintessence of the simple and important French dessert. As chocolate slowly swept through the European aristocracy in the 1700s, elegant pots of cream – dome for drinking, some for holding little dessert custards – became a feature of a well-laid table, along with English silver and thin Chinese plates. Today, you can find antique sets of these lidded vessels in vintage shops or from fine porcelain purveyors. The favorite filling, a dark chocolate baked custard, became part of the classic French cuisine. Today, chefs serve it in individual ramekins for dessert. Who doesn’t become child-like and content at the sight of your very own little dish of smooth, chilled, dark chocolate custard? It’s topped with a dollop of Chantilly Cream, created in the aristocratic town of Chantilly."
Equipment: Medium bowl, small saucepan, ramekins or 1 (9-inch) cake pan, deep baking dish.
Time: 1 hour (plus 2hours for chilling)
Pots de Crème Ingredients:
|
4 |
Ounces |
Dark Chocolate, melted |
|
1 |
|
Egg |
|
2 |
|
Egg Yolks |
|
0.25 |
Cup / 2 Ounces |
Granulated Sugar |
|
1 |
Cup / 8 Ounces |
Whole Milk |
|
0.50 |
Cup / 4 Ounces |
Heavy Cream |
|
1 |
Teaspoon |
Vanilla Extract |
|
1 |
Teaspoon |
Salt |
Chantilly Cream Ingredients:
|
1 |
Cup / 8 Ounces |
Heavy Cream |
|
3 |
Tablespoons |
Powdered Sugar, sifted |
|
1 |
Tablespoon |
Vanilla Extract |
|
0.50 |
Teaspoon |
Salt |
Pre-heatthe oven to 300 degrees F (149 degrees C).
Method: Place the melted chocolate in a medium bowl, then add the egg, egg yolks, and sugar and whisk together; set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cream, vanilla and salt together over medium heat and bring to a simmer (also known as "scalding) with bubbles along the edges of the liquid. Pour a small amount (about one-half cup) into the chocolate mixture and stir. Continue to add the milk mixture slowly to the chocolate mixture, stirring constantly until all of the milk mixture is incorporated.
Using a ladle or large spoon, divide the batter into 4 – 6 (3-inch wide) ramekins. Place the ramekins in a deep baking dish filled with 2 inches of water. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the sides of the custard are firm and the interiors are slightly fluid in the center.
Remove the ramekins from the water bath and cool completely. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the Chantilly Cream. Combine the cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat to full volume, about 2 -3 minutes.
Top the custards with Chantilly Cream. Serve on a plate with cookies and berries.
Sussie Norris
About the Writer
"Susie Norris is a pastry chef, educator, and food-focused traveler. She taught baking at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in California where she ran an artisan chocolate business for over a decade. In 2015, she grabbed her passport and set off to explore culinary classics in their native countries, and launched FoodMarketGypsy.com , the award-winning blog that chronicles her travels. A Baker’s Passport is a collection of favorite recipes from the blog with new discoveries."
A Baker’s Passport – Recipes For Breads, Savory Pies, Vegetarian Dishes, Tarts, Cakes, and Cookie Classics by Susie Norris is available as a paperback. ISBN: 9781981225903. $39.99
The book is available in bookstores and online, including Amazon and Bookworks
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