Hmmmm, I do try and keep recipes fairly seasonal. “This is WINTER food” I hear shouted at me through the computer screen. I know, well sort of…………you never know when the urgent need for comfort food will start to claw at you and it doesn’t seem to respect the seasons. Yes, this is great for a warm, cosy evening in when the toe- stealing freezing weather is firmly shut out but it is a great chocolate fix/ all year round, hug in a bowl.
We have a family tradition of pain au chocolat and croissants for breakfast on Saturday mornings (Sunday is either pancakes or bacon rolls on the beach). I usually buy 4 and depending on who opts for a croissant, I often have one or two left over. This recipe has led to a habit of popping them into a freezer bag to collect until I have 6 for this recipe. You don’t need to defrost them, just slice them up and by the time you have made the chocolate custard they will have started to soften.
By the way, the chocolate custard makes an amazing sauce for home- made chocolate sponge pudding- my children love it.
As ever, it’s totally easy to make. What’s more, you can add kirsch soaked cherries (or just fresh stoned cherries) or poached pears if you need a little more sophistication. I usually have plain chocolate in my baking cupboard and whipping cream or double cream work equally well so I usually don’t have to plan for this (fabulous as the need for comfort food can be random!).
I love this with vanilla ice- cream but you may prefer to serve it with cream- as you like.
Ingredients
6 medium sized pain au chocolat
300 mls double cream or whipping cream
100 mls milk
120 g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
75 g golden caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
Tin/ Dish
A 30 x 20 cm shallow baking dish or similar.
Oven
Pre-heat the oven to 150C (130C Fan)/ Gas Mark 2.
Method
1. Cut each pain au chocolat into 3 pieces, across the middle.
2. Place the milk and cream into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil.
3. In a jug/ small bowl, beat the caster sugar, vanilla and eggs together.
4. Remove the cream and milk mixture from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring with a hand whisk until it has completely melted.
5. Slowly pour the egg mixture onto the chocolate mixture, whisking with the hand whisk as you pour. You should now have a slightly thickened, smooth, glossy custard.
6. Slowly pour the chocolate custard over each of the pain au chocolat slices, going back over them with the rest of the chocolate custard when the first bit has soaked in and absorbed.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes until the top of the pain au chocolat are slightly crisp but the middle still has a slight wobble.
8. Serve hot with cream or vanilla ice- cream.
ScrummyWalks 