Valentine's Day: Easy chocolate recipes

Photos courtesy of Spice Islands

Valentine's Day comes with so much pressure -- what to give, what to wear, what to eat.  But Valentine's Day is supposed to be a day for love. For many that includes the love of chocolate. The lusciously Decadent Chocolate Mousse Pie in the mouth-watering photo is the result of an amazingly easy and amazingly good recipe from Spice Islands. The fact that this four-step recipe has only four main ingredients flavored by the brand's cinnamon powder and vanilla extract might make it even tastier. 

This Valentine's Day, I have a special love for Spice Islands for coming through with yet another easy five-ingredient chocolate treat. The recipe for Chocolate Pot de Crème with Vanilla Whipped Topping is shared below. This being chocolate "pot de Crème" instead of plain old chocolate pots of cream, one would expect the recipe to have a few more steps. The individual "pots," ramekins the cook will need to own or buy, are cooked in a water bath known as a  bain marie, to keep the French going. To save some time, avoid chopping the chocolate and use Scharffen Berger's 62 percent cacao semi-sweet baking chunks (I promise the extra percentage point won't matter).      

With that, you have two good reasons to go beyond the expected box of Valentine's Day chocolates. Try either of these indulgent chocolate recipes any time you need to show a little love without a lot of labor. 

Chocolate Pot de Crème with Vanilla Whipped Topping

 4 ounces 61 percent cocoa bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups organic heavy cream, divided

1/4 cup white blond cane sugar

2 organic egg yolks

1 teaspoon Spice Islands Pure Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a kettle filled with water on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

2. Place the chocolate in a large metal bowl.

3. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the heavy cream with the sugar in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat on the stove and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.

4. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate in a melt bowl and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

5. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly temper the eggs by adding a touch of the warm chocolate mixture at a time, about 1/8 cup. Continue to do this until the entire chocolate mixture has been added to the yolks.

6. Place four 6-ounce ramekins in a large baking or casserole dish. Pour the chocolate mixture evenly into the ramekins.

7. Using the water from the kettle, fill the baking dish so the water comes halfway up the ramekins.

8. Carefully place the baking dish into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. When done, the pot de crème will slightly jiggle. Using an oven mitt, remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool on a cooling rack.

9. After cooling to room temperature, transfer the ramekins to the refrigerator and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. (These can be made a few days ahead of time and just left in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.) When ready to serve, whisk the remaining heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small bowl until film peaks form. Place a dollop over each of the pot de crèmes and serve.

-- Recipes and photos courtesy of Spice Islands