On the long list of things I love to consume, chocolate, coffee and cardamom are all very high on the list, and I’m happy to report they all go well together.  The bitterness of the coffee and chocolate, the warmth of the cardamom, and the creaminess of the dairy make for a perfect little jar (or dare I say pot?) of decadence any time of the year, especially topped with a dollop of whipped cream. I evidently want to put whipped cream on everything, some examples are here, here and here. In this recipe, I used half & half because I always have it on hand for my morning cup of joe, and it goes with the flavor theme, but you can easily substitute ¾ cup each of whole milk and heavy cream to get the same result. Try your best to skim the bubbles off the surface of the mixture before it goes into the oven, as it will form a weird foamy crust. It’s not terrible, but not as pretty for presentation. Though if you go with the whipped cream I suggested, no one will know the difference.

Makes four 4-ounce servings

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks (56 grams)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ cups (363 grams) half & half
• 4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions

Make the Pots de Crème:

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F and set four small oven-proof jars or ramekins in a high-sided cake pan.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, espresso powder, cardamom and salt until combined and then set aside.
3. Bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the chocolate and mix to melt and combine. Don’t worry if it looks a little grainy, it will come together as the rest of the ingredients are added.
4. Slowly add the milk mixture to the eggs a little at a time, whisking constantly to temper. Once the mixtures are combined, skim off most of the foam and divide the mixture between the jars.
5. Place the cake pan with the jars inside into the oven and add just enough hot water to pan to cover all or the majority of the sides of the jars. Bake for 45 minutes or until set but still a little jiggly.
6. Remove the jars from the water and cool on a rack until room temperature. Then refrigerate them for at least two hours or until set. When ready to serve, dollop with whipped cream or serve as is. They can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.