Parisian hot chocolate & clementine posset brûlée
Home for Christmas #3
Welcome back to Home for Christmas. Today I am going to share one recipe for Hot Chocolate and another for Clementine Possets. Where are the savories? you may well ask. Well, they will follow in the coming days, I promise, but for now (as it’s that time of year) I am giving free rein to my insatiable sweet tooth. After all, how to prepare the perfect turkey always gets plenty of attention, but what about the perfect dessert? NOT EVERYONE WANTS Christmas pudding!
If the saying: Practice makes perfect, holds any truth, it follows that testing a variety of indulgent desserts ahead of the celebrations will ensure that you can confidently select one or two favorites to feature on your final list of festive recipes. This will avoid the panic that results from too much choice and not enough time. Well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Care to join me?
Chocolat chaud or hot chocolate.
When the winter frost appears, so also do my hot chocolate cravings. During this season, I'm totally committed to extravagance, especially when it comes to my morning beverage. Why else would I want to exchange the comforting embrace of a warm bed for the chill of rising on an icy morning?
There is certainly nothing more comforting than cozying up in PJs and double layers of jumpers whilst hugging a hot cup of liquid chocolate. The meditative practice of whisking chocolate into hot milk is a wonderful way to start the day as are the heady aromas that snake their way throughout the house. The sensation of slightly burning your top lip when taking a premature sip of this dark thick elixir is definitely a sign that Christmas is coming.
And as to the consistency - this isn't the type of hot chocolate made with water and powder. Perish the thought!
Life's too short for mediocre hot chocolate.
Of course, there is no correct way of making this comforting treat, but in my opinion, if the hot chocolate is thick enough to support a spoon as it slowly relaxes to rest on the lip of the cup, it's the right consistency.
Clementine Possets
I'm a little embarrassed at just how easy this 'recipe' is. However, it is one of my cooking mottos that if the ingredients are good, sometimes it is best to let nature do the work. Simple pairings and delicious ingredients often produce a final product that is nuanced, complex, and utterly delicious.
These clementine posset cups certainly make the grade; the sweetness and slight citrus of the clementine juice complemented by the rich heavy cream is a combination that needs no addition. These miniature delights only take 10-15 minutes to prepare, and the only tasking part of the process is waiting for them to solidify in the refrigerator.
The Recipes
Hot Chocolate
500 ml/18 fl oz whole milk
150g/5 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa), roughly chopped
Pinch of fleur de sel or Himalayan sea salt
1 tsp vanilla paste
Chantilly Cream
500ml/18 fl oz heavy/double cream, chilled
1 tbsp powdered/icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 tsp chestnut cream
Method
1. Add the milk to a medium saucepan on medium heat. Once the milk is hot, take off the heat and whisk in the chocolate. Return the pan to the heat and continue whisking as the milk comes to a rolling simmer.
2. Whisk for a further 6-8 minutes, or until desired thickness is achieved. The longer you simmer/whisk, the thicker the mixture will become.
3. Once desired thickness is achieved set the pan aside and serve
Chantilly Cream
Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk until the cream forms soft peaks
Note
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Clementine Posset Brûlée Cups
400 ml double cream
125g caster sugar + extra for caramelizing (vanilla infused if possible)
9 clementines (8 for the clementine possets + 1 for the zest)*
Lemon, a squeeze
½ tsp vanilla paste (optional)
Note*
There will be enough posset mixture to fill the hollowed-out shells of 8 clementines. The extra clementine is needed for the zest.
As the recipe only requires 80ml of juice, to avoid waste, reserve the spare juice from all 9 clementines for cocktails, a breakfast beverage or zingy addition to any number of recipes.
Method
Remove the zest of 1 clementine and set aside. Cut this fruit in half and squeeze the juice into a measuring jug/bowl.
Cut off the top ¼ or ⅓ of the other 8 clementines and keep these sections as lids ( I like to freeze the ‘lids’ for the final presentation)
Then, using a paring knife, carefully remove the flesh from the clementines, and place in a sieve. Use the back of a wooden spoon to strain this juice into the measuring jug or bowl, which will now contain the juice of all 9 clementines. Now, measure out 80ml of the juice for the posset mixture and set aside. (Any remaining juice can be kept for other purposes.)
Place the cream and caster sugar in a small-medium saucepan over low heat. Stir gently until the sugar has melted and the mixture is warm. Turn off the heat then add the 80ml clementine juice, zest and a squeeze of lemon + any additions you prefer.
Allow the mixture to rest for a few moments then stir before straining the posset mixture into a jug/bowl. Divide the posset mixture between the cut clementine cases and chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.
Tips
Serving
When nearly ready to serve, sprinkle a little sugar on top of the posset mixture and then brûlée with a kitchen blow torch. Place the posset filled clementines back in the refrigerator for a further ten minutes before artfully arranging in individual bowls together with their frozen decorative lids.
Make it even easier
Use small ramekins or a cupcake tin as a way to stabilize the clementine cases.
If you don’t feel like fiddling with clementine cases, you could always serve the possets in little tea cups or ramekins with small shortbread biscuits on the side.
If you can’t get hold of clementines, simply substitute the clementine juice for 80 ml of organic orange juice or any citrus juice you prefer.
Try my passion fruit posset recipe as a lovely sour/sweet alternative.
See you soon for more festive recipes!
Sarah