Better than Chocolate? Pots au Chocolat



There is chocolate, and then there are pots au chocolat. Warm, silky, and irresistibly smooth desserts made from the only ingredient that I can undeniably and unregrettably crave in each and every winter dessert. Or any dessert. As days become shorter and daylight is filled with more rain and clouds than the sun, I want desserts made with rich ingredients that fill the house with as much holiday aroma while it cooks. I want a dessert that is easy enough to prepare, but has the flavour and appearance of a professionals wooden spoon.

Of the many chocolate desserts I've made previously, including Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding, Chocolate Hazelnut Cakes, Ginger Coco-Cran Chocolate Clusters, or even the Chocolate Cheesecake, none of them quite capture the smooth melted chocolate centres of these pots, nor the warmth of a mug of hot chocolate on a snowy afternoon that fills every chilly part of you in each and every bite, and keeps you wrapped in a delicious chocolaty hug. A perfect dessert for holidays, or for guests to share beside the crackling fire, these pots have lasted me throughout the first pang of dessert-cravings when I began this blog, to entertaining guests that were sceptical about gluten free to start with. A little secret it has remained, as I felt it was almost too good to share, and I kept it hidden away for nearly 14 months - all the while enjoying it in a guilty chocolaty trance. (I'm sorry).

After a Saturday that began with brunch in one of Victoria's small breakfast cafes, tucked in a downtown side street but packed with couples and groups of friends out to enjoy hot coffees and a cooked breakfast together, laughing and chatting over the immense variety on the menu, and soaking up the late morning atmosphere, we ended our afternoon perusing the Public Market in the Hudson building. I had ordered a plate of smoked salmon eggs Benny served on a gluten free English muffin that also arrived with a side of oven-roasted hash browns while mum enjoyed the Sunshine plate, complete with eggs, sausage and hash browns, and dad devoured the Scottish brekkie, complete with black pudding. It was a brunch that kept us happy and satisfied for a day walking the streets and exploring open markets, and even happier at the prospect of returning to try more of their gluten free options - like pancakes

From the front entrance, located on Douglas Street, the three of us were instantly greeted with samples of hot tea inside the Public Market. Satisfied and awake after refills of coffees and brunch, we happily just kept our eyes open, deciding to enjoy the atmosphere rather than the varieties of cheeses lined up to sample, from goat's cheeses to feta from a local Salt Spring farm, as well as cakes baked by Victoria supplied and run bakeries for the time being, resolving to return for lunch another day. Many shoppers idled around tables while some paid for local produce and savoured the smell of rotisserie meats, and many families enjoyed lunch at small tables together.

Unfortunately, as it was a Saturday afternoon while the rain held off for a few more hours, the place was absolutely packed, and I continued to wander from my parents a few too many times only to finally find them sorting through trays of dried herbs and spices or spot them immersed in a selection of olive oil at the back of the market. Olive the Senses has what appears to be hundreds of different varieties of olive oil, plus balsamic vinegar for dipping bread, all in spouted barrels and sold in reusable glass bottles. Beneath each type were cups and bread for sampling, and a small description of each type of oil.

Although it was at times difficult to see past the lines of people each wanting their own view of the stalls, I was disappointed that between the French Oven, a fine artisan bread and sweets bakery, the Victoria Pie Company, and The Damn Fine Cafe Co., I didn't come across anyone offering gluten free breads or baked goods. However, keeping in mind that our next visit will involve lunch, I know that something  from one of the meat shops would be satisfying as well as wonderfully gluten free, or a craving for either Mexican or Indian food would be stopped in its tracks at either of the cafe-style counters, all of it smelling absolutely wonderful.

I loved the way that the Public Market has been set up as a place to enjoy the company of others while learning about delicious and local food, from spices to cheeses. Getting to know where our food comes from is important, and even powerful in the sense that it gives us more insight and understanding about the entire process of growing and producing food. The Victoria Public Market is so crucial in opening up this aspect to more people, showing off sustainability and the diverse availability of products so close to where we live.

While many will not drive a little ways out of town to hunt down the best deals on fresh squashes, or free range eggs at a farm where you can hear the call of hens to each other, or see the flutter of their feathers, it is so important that markets are accessible where people can explore produce and get to know their local farmers, especially if they have not yet been exposed to the bounty of new vegetables and fruits that consumer demand has almost dictated out of the grocery aisles.

Food is sustaining, delightful, comforting, and inspiring, and it's so important for us not to only understand this, but to appreciate it while supporting the people that make it possible for us to continue eating local, while we continue to make it possible by focusing our menus on seasonally available ingredients and aiming to have a greater awareness of our food and the products we use.

Pots au Chocolat

{print recipe here}

serves 4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ingredients:

225 g semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c butter (coconut oil can be used for a dairy free option, however I have not tried it)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoon cocoa powder

 Directions:

Preheat your oven to 385 F and set out 4 small ramekins.

In a small bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water, melt together chocolate and butter, stirring and scraping the sides until there are no lumps.

In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and vanilla and pour in the chocolate mixture. Stir in cocoa powder.

Pour the mix into the 4 ramekins and place them into a large pie dish or edged baking pan, filling the pan with water up to 1/2 the height of the ramekins.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, the tops should have risen and begin to pull away from the edges, however the real appeal of this dessert is the rich gooey centre. Not for a light appetite.

Serve hot, topping each pot with ice cream, or my personal favourite, a spoonful of coconut cream and a strawberry.

Labels: , , , , ,

Think of Me Gluten-Free: Better than Chocolate? Pots au Chocolat

10 November 2013

Better than Chocolate? Pots au Chocolat



There is chocolate, and then there are pots au chocolat. Warm, silky, and irresistibly smooth desserts made from the only ingredient that I can undeniably and unregrettably crave in each and every winter dessert. Or any dessert. As days become shorter and daylight is filled with more rain and clouds than the sun, I want desserts made with rich ingredients that fill the house with as much holiday aroma while it cooks. I want a dessert that is easy enough to prepare, but has the flavour and appearance of a professionals wooden spoon.

Of the many chocolate desserts I've made previously, including Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding, Chocolate Hazelnut Cakes, Ginger Coco-Cran Chocolate Clusters, or even the Chocolate Cheesecake, none of them quite capture the smooth melted chocolate centres of these pots, nor the warmth of a mug of hot chocolate on a snowy afternoon that fills every chilly part of you in each and every bite, and keeps you wrapped in a delicious chocolaty hug. A perfect dessert for holidays, or for guests to share beside the crackling fire, these pots have lasted me throughout the first pang of dessert-cravings when I began this blog, to entertaining guests that were sceptical about gluten free to start with. A little secret it has remained, as I felt it was almost too good to share, and I kept it hidden away for nearly 14 months - all the while enjoying it in a guilty chocolaty trance. (I'm sorry).

After a Saturday that began with brunch in one of Victoria's small breakfast cafes, tucked in a downtown side street but packed with couples and groups of friends out to enjoy hot coffees and a cooked breakfast together, laughing and chatting over the immense variety on the menu, and soaking up the late morning atmosphere, we ended our afternoon perusing the Public Market in the Hudson building. I had ordered a plate of smoked salmon eggs Benny served on a gluten free English muffin that also arrived with a side of oven-roasted hash browns while mum enjoyed the Sunshine plate, complete with eggs, sausage and hash browns, and dad devoured the Scottish brekkie, complete with black pudding. It was a brunch that kept us happy and satisfied for a day walking the streets and exploring open markets, and even happier at the prospect of returning to try more of their gluten free options - like pancakes

From the front entrance, located on Douglas Street, the three of us were instantly greeted with samples of hot tea inside the Public Market. Satisfied and awake after refills of coffees and brunch, we happily just kept our eyes open, deciding to enjoy the atmosphere rather than the varieties of cheeses lined up to sample, from goat's cheeses to feta from a local Salt Spring farm, as well as cakes baked by Victoria supplied and run bakeries for the time being, resolving to return for lunch another day. Many shoppers idled around tables while some paid for local produce and savoured the smell of rotisserie meats, and many families enjoyed lunch at small tables together.

Unfortunately, as it was a Saturday afternoon while the rain held off for a few more hours, the place was absolutely packed, and I continued to wander from my parents a few too many times only to finally find them sorting through trays of dried herbs and spices or spot them immersed in a selection of olive oil at the back of the market. Olive the Senses has what appears to be hundreds of different varieties of olive oil, plus balsamic vinegar for dipping bread, all in spouted barrels and sold in reusable glass bottles. Beneath each type were cups and bread for sampling, and a small description of each type of oil.

Although it was at times difficult to see past the lines of people each wanting their own view of the stalls, I was disappointed that between the French Oven, a fine artisan bread and sweets bakery, the Victoria Pie Company, and The Damn Fine Cafe Co., I didn't come across anyone offering gluten free breads or baked goods. However, keeping in mind that our next visit will involve lunch, I know that something  from one of the meat shops would be satisfying as well as wonderfully gluten free, or a craving for either Mexican or Indian food would be stopped in its tracks at either of the cafe-style counters, all of it smelling absolutely wonderful.

I loved the way that the Public Market has been set up as a place to enjoy the company of others while learning about delicious and local food, from spices to cheeses. Getting to know where our food comes from is important, and even powerful in the sense that it gives us more insight and understanding about the entire process of growing and producing food. The Victoria Public Market is so crucial in opening up this aspect to more people, showing off sustainability and the diverse availability of products so close to where we live.

While many will not drive a little ways out of town to hunt down the best deals on fresh squashes, or free range eggs at a farm where you can hear the call of hens to each other, or see the flutter of their feathers, it is so important that markets are accessible where people can explore produce and get to know their local farmers, especially if they have not yet been exposed to the bounty of new vegetables and fruits that consumer demand has almost dictated out of the grocery aisles.

Food is sustaining, delightful, comforting, and inspiring, and it's so important for us not to only understand this, but to appreciate it while supporting the people that make it possible for us to continue eating local, while we continue to make it possible by focusing our menus on seasonally available ingredients and aiming to have a greater awareness of our food and the products we use.

Pots au Chocolat

{print recipe here}

serves 4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ingredients:

225 g semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c butter (coconut oil can be used for a dairy free option, however I have not tried it)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoon cocoa powder

 Directions:

Preheat your oven to 385 F and set out 4 small ramekins.

In a small bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water, melt together chocolate and butter, stirring and scraping the sides until there are no lumps.

In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and vanilla and pour in the chocolate mixture. Stir in cocoa powder.

Pour the mix into the 4 ramekins and place them into a large pie dish or edged baking pan, filling the pan with water up to 1/2 the height of the ramekins.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, the tops should have risen and begin to pull away from the edges, however the real appeal of this dessert is the rich gooey centre. Not for a light appetite.

Serve hot, topping each pot with ice cream, or my personal favourite, a spoonful of coconut cream and a strawberry.

Labels: , , , , ,

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