French baked dessert "Pau de Crème"

Ingredients:

• 190 g dark chocolate (72% cocoa), finely chopped
• 1 and 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 5 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla paste

Preparation:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Combine the cream and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate, then stir until smooth.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla extract. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly. Strain the cream through a fine sieve into a bowl or pitcher, then divide among six ramekins or 120 ml cups.
4. Place the ramekins in a large baking dish or saucepan and carefully add enough hot water to come about two-thirds of the way up the ramekins. Carefully place the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and let the ramekins and cream sit in the hot water for another 5 minutes.
   
   
   If the cream still seems very runny in the middle, let the ramekins sit in the hot water for another 5 minutes. The ideal consistency is when the cream is set at the edges and the center jiggles slightly when gently shaken.
5. Remove the ramekins from the water and let cool before serving, or refrigerate if you want to serve the dessert cold.
   
   

   Storage advice

   
   The baked cream cups can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.