White Chocolate Citrus Pot de Crème

Creamy white chocolate custard desserts with bright winter citrus.

Make ahead desserts are a life saver. I hate feeling rushed, so any menu work that can be done ahead of time is a win for me. A little work here, a little there and it means you're more relaxed and enjoyable. Nothing like a hostess who is feeling ultra cranky to ruin the night. This white chocolate pot de crème was a first for me. I've never done pot de crème and it really is simple. You can use this recipe and swap in, say meyer lemon instead of other citrus or even blood orange and top it with supreme citrus segments. My original plan was yuzu juice (a Japanese citrus) but I couldn't' get my hands on it. Flexibility is good. 

The custard itself is SO smooth. There's nothing 'healthy' about this recipe save that you truly feel satisfied with a very small helping. While this recipe makes four individual containers, I'm satisfied with half of one. The citrus and white chocolate are both intense flavors and after a few small spoons I can walk away feeling like "i got it".

White Chocolate Citrus Pot de Crème

Dessert // serves 4

Ingredients

• 7 oz high quality white chocolate bar, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/8 cup whole milk
• 1/8 cup fresh lime and orange juice or yuzu juice
• zest of 1 lime, finely chopped
• zest of 1/4 navel orange, finely chopped 
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• pinch fine sea salt

Directions

Move rack in oven to center level. Preheat oven to 300 F.

Chop white chocolate and place in a heat proof medium sized bowl. In a saucepan add cream and milk. Heat until hot but DO NOT boil. Pour over chocolate in bowl. Stir to smooth. 

Prepare a second bowl and whisk egg yolks, sugar and citrus juice together. (Save egg whites for cocktails or breakfast omelette.) Slowly add the white chocolate mix into the egg mix and whisk until smooth. 

Place ramekins into a baking dish with sides that will allow water to be added to surround the ramekins up to the halfway mark on the sides. Add hot water to reach this level around the ramekins. In each ramekin, add custard until evenly divided. I found it easiest to ladle vs pour into each. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the custard is almost set (slightly soft in the middle). Remember custard will set as it cools. Remove from oven but leave ramekins in water bath for 30 minutes. Remove from baking dish and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to 1 day. 

Top with white chocolate shavings and zest. 

Note: Seriously try to wait the 3 hours. It will truly make the consistency of the custard better.