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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Chocolate Pots

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.76 from 66 ratings French
Chocolate pots or also known as petit pots is a light French dessert from the 17th century. And it means 'pot of custard'- and what a lovely translation it is. It is light and delicate, almost like crème brûlée. I used to make this quite a lot for my guests while employed by Augusta Kleinbosch Guest Farm.  It is lovely served with whipped cream or Crème fraîche. It is a quick and easy recipe to make, and the lovely vanilla pod/seed just add that wonderful distinct vanilla flavour, apart from the vanilla essence used as well. Personally I am very fond of using vanilla pods/seeds. The first time I used it was just fabulous - that flavour one just can not describe it in words! Personally I am very thankful to nature for this lovely, lovely item. You can also add a lovely orange syrup on the plate decorating, or use lovely fresh berries in season such as gooseberries, raspberries, blueberries, mulberries etc. You can bake them in ramekins or soufflé ramekins or lovely see-through ramekins if you do not feel too sorry for them! Lavender leaves and flowers look lovely for decoration, as well as lemon verbena can add something special to the chocolate pots. Other popular flavours other than chocolate are: pumpkin, caramel or coffee.
Individual rich chocolate pots de creme desserts chilled in ceramic ramekins.
Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Total 45 min
Serves 12

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Ingredients

  • 400 ml milk
  • 300 ml cream
  • 300 g dark chocolate, of good quality - 70%, finely chopped
  • 4 eggs
  • 45 g caster sugar
  • 5 ml vanilla essence
  • 2 vanilla pods/vanilla seeds, scraped

Method

  1. Heat the milk and the cream

  2. Cut the vanilla pod/bean lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds and add to the milk and cream mixture

  3. You can add the rest of the vanilla bean to the milk mixture too as it gives extra flavour, but discard once the milk and cream are heated through

  4. Beat the egg yolks and caster sugar until thick and light in colour

  5. Mix the milk mixture with the egg mixture

  6. Add the chocolate

  7. Add the vanilla essence and divide the mixture into the prepared ramekins

  8. Bake au Bain Marie for 25-30 minutes at 170° Celsius

  9. TIP: Au Bain Marie: Take a large oven tray and fill it about a third full of water, then place the individual ramekins into it and bake as the recipe instruct

  10. When removing, remember to use oven gloves and work delicate as the ramekins are hot once it comes out of the oven

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