 Cup History
Dessert History
All About Pots de Creme by Barbara Bowman
Pots de Creme refers to both the custard dessert as well as the small lidded pots this
dessert is served in. Pots de creme, or pot-au-creme translates from French to English as
"pot of cream". The French do not have a word for "custard" the
dish is simply referred to as "creme". The pots may also be referred to as
"petits pots". Technically the pots de creme is a lightly set,
baked custard. The "traditional" proportions for this dessert is one whole
egg to every five egg yolks for 2 1/2 to 3 cups of liquid. A dessert made with these
basic proportions will yield a barely firm custard. This is why the custard is best
served in small pots (or ramekins).
How it is Made
The earliest version of this dessert was baked
and chilled prior to serving in the little cups. The method most common today is as
follows. Milk, heavy cream or half and half is heated and the flavoring (commonly
chocolate) is melted after the liquid is removed from the burner. The eggs are whisked
until smooth. Then, the hot flavoring mixture is gently whisked into the eggs.
The custard should then be strained through a fine sieve to remove any bits of egg or
chocolate not properly incorporated. This will produce a very smooth custard. The
empty cups are place in a baking dish. The mixture is poured into the cups until each is
about 3/4 full.
Baking
The custard is baked in a bath of hot water. This process allows the eggs to cook
slowly and evenly. Hot water is added to the baking dish until the level reaches
about half way up the sides of the pots. The covers are put on the pots (or the
baking dish covered with foil) to prevent a "skin" from forming on the top of
the custard. The custard is baked in a low to moderate oven for about 20 minutes.
It's important not to overcook the eggs because they will get "rubbery".
Custard Flavors and
Recipes
The traditional pots de creme flavor was vanilla but recipes can be found in many flavors
including the very prominent chocolate
as well as caramel, pumpkin or coffee.
Some of the recipes found for Pots de Creme are really more of a "moose" which
contains either whipped cream or beaten egg whites. For those seeking out a
lower fat version we came up with a recipe for a "soy" version we call "Soy Dreams" (extra rich chocolate)
which is excellent. You may also want to try our unique and very easy to make Key Lime Pots de Creme which is just
like a Key Lime pie without the crust.
Custard History
Custards as we know them today date back to the Middle Ages (Allen Davidson, Oxford Food Companion) when it was used as a filling for a Flan or a Tart. The word custard is derived from "crustade"
which is a tart with a crust. After the 16th century fruit creams became popular and
it was about this time that custards were made in individual dishes rather than a filling
in a crust.
And Now, Where These Little Cups Come
From - Continued On Next Page...
|
