Chocolate Pots de Scream

I know it’s a controversial thing to admit, but honestly chocolate desserts aren’t my favourite.

Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate - I’d be the first to tuck into the Quality street at Christmas (barring the orange creams), but when it comes to ordering dessert in a restaurant my eyes (and stomach) are usually drawn to the lemon meringues of the world, over the chocolate fondants.

That said I love creating recipes with chocolate - and likewise, my boyfriend is more than happy to taste test them.

These dreamy little pots are another story. What I love the most about them is that they’re so delicate. They’re light enough to win me over, whilst sill being indulgent enough to satisfy my chocolate-loving other half.

We’ve devoured the lot this week and I can safely say that they’re devilishly good (sorry) - they’re bound to be a crowd pleaser this Halloween. I mean, just because we’re too old for trick or treating, it doesn’t mean we have to miss out on the treats...

Now, someone pour me a glass of witches brew!

Note: Before I made the tombstones, I drew a little cardboard stencil as a guide when cutting them out, but you could easily do this by eye. The tombstones are an added spooky twist to this dessert, but they could easily be adapted for any time of the year (minus the tombstones, that’s a little too morbid). You could cut out other shapes for the cookies, or simply top them with some whipped cream and serve.

What you need (makes 6 small pots):

For the chocolate pots:
375ml double cream
150ml whole milk
50g caster sugar
5 medium egg yolks
1tsp vanilla
250g dark chocolate (roughly chopped)

For the tombstone cookies:
100g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
50g icing sugar
100g unsalted butter (chilled and cubed)
1 egg yolk
1/2tsp vanilla
25g white chocolate

What you need to do:

For the chocolate pots

1. Place the cream, milk, sugar, eggs yolks and vanilla in a medium sized saucepan and whisk to combine, then set the saucepan over a medium heat and slowly bring to a boil, whisking occasionally
2. Let it simmer slowly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon
3. Once thickened, remove from the heat add the chocolate. Leave to sit for 30 seconds, before stirring to combine - continue until the chocolate has melted
4. Pour the into the bowl of a freestanding mixer (or use a handheld electric whisk) and mix for a couple of minutes until smooth and thick
5. Place your pots or ramekins on a plate, and carefully pour the mixture into each glass - leave out to cool and then place in the fridge to chill and set (around 2 hours)

For the tombstone cookies

1. Place the flour, cocoa powder, icing sugar and butter in a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. The add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue to mix until the dough starts to come together
2. Pull the dough out onto a work surface and lightly knead until it's smooth - roll into a ball and wrap in cling film, then leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper, then once the dough has chilled lightly dust a work surface with cocoa powder and roll the dough out in a circle around 5mm thick
4. Use a knife to carefully carve out 6 tombstone shapes, then cut out 6 small round cookies (to use as the crumbled soil). Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes - you can also freeze any unused dough
5. Preheat your oven to 180°C, and then once the cookies have chilled, bake for 10 minutes, then leave to cool
6. Once cooled, melt the white chocolate either over a bain-mairie or in the microwave in short bursts then leave to cool slightly
7. Place the cooled chocolate in a small piping bag. Cut a small hole at the end of the bag, then pipe a spooky message (RIP) onto each tombstone and leave to set
8. Place your round cookies in a small bowl and crush with a spoon until you have cookie ‘soil’
9. Stick the tombstones into each pot, then dust over the top then serve and enjoy!