Chocolate Pots

Preheat the oven to 180oC – no fan-bake.

Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a heavy based saucepan with the cream over a gentle heat. Stir all the time until the mixture is smooth, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract, then the egg yolks, one at a time.

Pour the mixture into 6 x 80 ml ramekins or ovenproof demitasse cups. Put a small cloth or tea-towel in the base of a deep baking pan and place the chocolate pots on top.

Pour in enough hot but not boiling water, to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins or cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops have just set.

Remove from the bain-marie and set aside to cool.

To serve: Place a small spoonful of softly whipped cream on each chocolate pot and dust lightly with dutch cocoa. Serves 6 – makes approximately 425 ml

Dutch Cocoa: This richer, darker cocoa has an alkali added, which neutralizes the cocoa’s acidity. The process is known as dutching – the cocoa is not from Holland. Available from specialty stores.