Chocolate confections

My grumpy, cynical side longs to dismiss Valentine's Day as the Madison Avenue-produced frenzy of fluff I know it to be. But the strength of my testy convictions is curiously and invariably out-muscled each Feb. 14 by my softer, squishier side. After all, how could a winter's day dedicated to the sanctioned consumption of chocolate be all bad? An old French proverb proclaims that "Without bread, without wine, love is nothing." Chocolate should have been added to the list, but the sentiment is solid: sharing food with your intended crystallizes feelings of love, consistently packing far more symbolic punch on Valentine's Day than flowers, jewelry and perfume combined. A confection made by you is far weightier than any sampler selection of cocoa-flavored nut chews from the quickie mart. My suggestion? Stick with the chocolate theme, but maximize its inherent bravura. Make chocolate pots de creme. Pots de creme (pronounced "poh duh krehm") are fancy, individual cups of custard. In lay terms, it is the most delicious chocolate pudding ever. Silky, seductive and distinctly sublime, pots de creme are at once terrifically elegant and undeniably comforting. Every silken spoonful articulates, "I love you." Savoring the leftovers says, "I love me." Displeasure is not a possibility with pots de creme; I can still remember the ecstasy of my first taste of the confection more than a decade ago. The recipe is a classic for Valentine's Day and any other special occasion because it yields divine results and necessitates few ingredients, no fancy equipment and minimal preparation. Some pots de creme recipes require a two-stage cooking process, a stir on the stovetop followed by a bake in the oven. I have eliminated the second step for two reasons. First, I am lazy; if a recipe can be simplified, I make it so. Second, baking the pots de creme limits the presentation possibilities to custard cups and ramekins. Cooked on stovetop alone, the intense chocolate emulsion can be poured into any whimsical container: a champagne flute, a delicate china teacup or possibly an espresso cup and saucer. Beg and borrow from friends as necessary. The opportunity for folly in this recipe is limited and easily avoided. A small amount of hot cream must be added to the egg yolks rather than all the hot cream at once. This brings the egg yolks to the same temperature as the cream gradually. If you dump and stir all the cream and egg yolks at once, witness a grand slam egg scramble, guaranteed. Once the egg-cream mixture is added to the remaining cream, keep the heat very low to avoid curdling. You can top the pots de creme with whipped cream, a drizzle of fruit sauce or rich caramel. If you are particularly inspired, make tiny meringues with the leftover egg whites. CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME 1 cup half and half
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten with a fork
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or
1 6-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the cream and milk to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk yolks with a fork. Whisk about a third of the boiling cream mixture into the yolks. Return remaining cream mixture to a boil and whisk in yolk mixture. Continue to cook, over low heat, whisking constantly, another 15 or 20 seconds, until slightly thickened. Pour cream mixture into a medium bowl; add chocolate and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. (If adding one of the flavor options below, stir it in at this point). Pour into custard cups or dish of choice. Refrigerate until cooled and set (at least 3-4 hours; can be made a day ahead). Makes 4 servings. *NOTE: The better the quality of the chocolate, the better the pots de creme. LIQUEUR POTS DE CREME: Stir in 1 tablespoon of liqueur, brandy or bourbon. ORANGE POTS DE CREME: Stir in 1 and 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped grated orange zest. JAVANAISE POTS DE CREME: Add 2 teaspoons instant espresso or coffee powder to hot cream mixture before adding chocolate and vanilla. AZTECA POTS DE CREME: Add 1/8 teaspoon chili powder, a pinch of cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.