Creamy

Last night, I made this Pots de Creme recipe, found on the King Arthur baking blog, and apparently echoed elsewhere. It is very easy to make, and results in a fairly dense, creamy pudding with a mild taste that goes quite well with strawberries.

* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 large egg, at room temperature
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tablespoons liqueur


Directions

1) Place the chocolate chips, salt, and sugar in a blender or food processor and pulse until finely ground.
2) Add the egg and pulse just until the mixture is smooth.
3) Heat the cream to just below a boil, with small bubbles forming around the edge of the saucepan (or microwave-safe bowl).
4) Turn on the blender or processor, and slowly add the cream. Scrape down the sides of the container if necessary. Add the flavoring of your choice and pulse to blend.
5) Divide into 6 individual serving cups. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
6) Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings