National Pots De Crème Day Date in the current year: August 27, 2024

Custard is an umbrella term for a number of culinary preparations that may vary in consistency from a think sauce to a thick cream. Its key ingredients are milk or cream, egg yolk, and sugar or some other sweetener. Custard is very common in French cuisine, which has many custard desserts such as crème anglaise, crème brûlée, crème caramel, custard-filled éclairs, far Breton, floating island (île flottante), mille-feuille (Napoleon pastry), pot de crème, profiteroles, and St. Honoré cake.

The name “pot de crème” (plural pots de crème) is translated from French as “pot of custard” or “jar of cream”. This dessert consists of a loose custard that is baked and served in small porcelain cups that are also referred to as pots de crème. The custard can be flavored with vanilla, chocolate, coffee or other flavoring, and is often topped with whipped cream before serving.

Pots de crème originated sometime in the 17th century. At their most basic, they consist of just four ingredients: milk, cream, egg yolk, and sugar. The ingredients are whisked together over medium-low heat. The mixture is then poured into small ramekins, and the dessert is baked in a bain-marie (a pan filled with hot water). This baking method allows the heat from the oven to transfer to the custard gently and prevent curdling.

The origins of National Pots De Crème Day are unclear, like with many other food days, but it was surely created by someone with a sweet tooth and love for French desserts. Celebrate this amazing holiday by finding a French restaurant where you can have pot de crème for dessert or making pots de crème at home and inviting your friends and family over to enjoy this delicious French dessert with you.

As we’ve already mentioned, pots de crème can be made with various flavorings. The chocolate version, for example, is especially popular in the United States, so we suggest that you make chocolate pots de crème to celebrate the holiday. To make the dessert, you’ll need half a dozen large egg yolks, 2 cups heavy cream, ½ cup whole milk, 5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (chopped), and 1/3 cup sugar.

Preheat oven to 325°. Combine cream and milk in a medium heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, add chocolate, and whisk until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until blended. Gradually pour hot cream and chocolate mixture into yolk mixture, whisking constantly until smooth.

Strain the resulting custard into a medium bowl using a fine-mesh sieve. Let cool for 10 minutes; if any foam surfaces while custard is cooling, skim it. Pour custard into six 6-oz. ramekins and cover each ramekin with foil. Place ramekins inside a large baking dish and pour in hot water so that it comes halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake for 50–60 minutes (until set). Once your pots de crème are ready, let them cool on a wire rack, then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.