Chocolate-Chile Cream Pots

Unbelievably rich and luscious, we pretty much have to keep it on the menu year-round, because returning diners complain if they can’t order it.  It’s a certain cure for whatever emotional ill ails you.

2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup half and half
9 ounces of good quality sweet chocolate
2 ounces of good quality unsweetened chocolate
6 large egg yolks
(we only use local farm eggs for this – substitute free range and organic store-bought)
1/2 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of powdered hot Chimayo chile
Heavy cream – whipped with a little sugar and vanilla to taste

Put the egg yolks into a blender and whip them thoroughly.  Set them aside in the blender.  Carefully heat the chocolate, the cream and the half and half together in a heavy-bottomed pot, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is completely melted and bubbling and the mixture is a very even consistency and color.  Add salt and chile powder and let it simmer a little bit more. 

Pour the very hot chocolate mixture into the whirling blender of egg yolks and blend them until thick and completely smooth.  If for any reason the custard doesn’t thicken up properly, just put it into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook it on very low heat.  It may temporarily break, but another quick go in the blender will fix the problem.

While the chocolate is still hot, pour it into dessert cups (we use small white ramekin dishes--a little bit of this dessert goes far). Top it off with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

We garnish this dessert with grated Abuelita Mexican Chocolate and edible flower petals or a whole small, dried red chile from our garden (although one time a guest ate the chile and nearly fainted . . . now we have the servers warn the guests about the garnish because it looks too pretty to leave off).