Little Chocolate Cups - France

Lovely, classic little dessert! A dark chocolate with a high cocoa content would be most authentic. Make a meringue or an egg white omelette with the egg wites!

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  quart milk
• 5 1⁄2 ounces dark chocolate
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 8  egg yolks
• 1  vanilla bean

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Break up the chocolate into small pieces, and heat it with 2 tbs of milk in a bain-marie, or double boiler.
3. In a second saucepan, bring the rest of the milk to a boil with the vanilla bean that you have slit in half lengthwise.
4. While the milk is heating, whip up the egg yolks with the sugar until it lightens in color, then blend it in with the melted chocolate.
5. As soon as the milk begins to bubble, remove from the heat. Lift out the vanilla, and slowly pour the milk onto the chocolate mixture. Go slowly, whipping the chocolate mix as you pour.
6. Pour the chocolate mix through a strainer into 6 small ramekin dishes.
7. Place these in a shallow casserole, and fill with water to the halfway level of the ramekins.
8. Cover with aluminum foil and put into a 350F oven for 30 minutes.
9. When the time is up, remove the ramekins from the casserole and let cool for around 4 hours.
10. Serve with little cookies and/or with whipped cream.