I do not like Rachael Ray. Her stupid little sayings. Her wild hand gestures. She just bugs me. Which is why it pains me to say it, but I must admit: I'm tempted to make those chocolate cups that she whipped up on "Oprah" yesterday.Her take on pot de crème actually looked really good and, as with all of her recipes, they require very little time or effort. There's no baking required -- which is especially nice because with this heat wave we're experiencing, who wants to deal with a hot oven?
Chocolate Cups with Whipped Cream
2/3 cup whole milk
1 egg
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp hazelnut liqueur or dark rum*
4 demitasse cups
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
Mint springs for garnish, optional
1. Heat the milk in a small pan over moderate heat until it comes to a boil.
2. In a blender or food processor combine the egg, sugar, a pinch of salt, semi-sweet chips and liqueur. Run the processor or turn on the blender to a low setting. Pour in the boiling milk in a slow stream. The hot milk will cook the egg and melt the chocolate. Process or blend for 1 minute, until smooth. Spoon chocolate into 4 demitasse cups and chill.
3. After dinner, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add a little sugar and beat to combine. Top the chocolate cups with a dollop of cream and garnish each cup with mint sprigs. Place cups on saucers and serve with demitasse spoons. If you use teacups, this recipe will yield 2 cups, rather than 4.
* During yesterday's episode, RR said you can use the booze of your choice.
And that is IT! I love that they look much more complicated than they are... But I still hate Rachael Ray.
