Little Coffee Pots de Crème

📝 Ingredients

• 500 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 2 tbsp instant coffee (about 10 g)
• 1 whole egg + 4 egg yolks
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar (7.5 g)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (to serve)
• 4 butter biscuits (to serve)
• 1 L very hot water (for the bain-marie)

🍴 Utensils

• Saucepan
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Fine sieve
• Ramekins (about 200 ml)
• High-sided ovenproof dish

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 140 °C (conventional heat if possible). Place 4 ramekins of about 200 ml in a high-sided ovenproof dish and boil 1 L water in the kettle for the bain-marie.
2. Heat the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until it just starts to simmer, without letting it boil. Off the heat, add the instant coffee and salt, then whisk until the coffee has completely dissolved.
3. In a large bowl, gently whisk the whole egg, yolks, sugar and vanilla sugar for 30 seconds, just to combine: no need to make it foamy, or bubbles will form on the surface of the custards.
4. Pour the hot milk over the eggs in a thin stream, whisking constantly, to warm them gradually without cooking them. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug and skim off the foam with a spoon.
5. Divide the custard between the ramekins, filling them about three quarters full. Pour the hot water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, without letting any get inside, then carefully place in the middle of the oven.
6. Bake for 35 to 40 min: the custards are ready when the edges are set and the centre still wobbles slightly, like jelly, when you shake the ramekin. Overcooked, they turn grainy and weep.
7. Lift the ramekins out of the bain-marie with an oven glove and leave them to cool for 20 min at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the custards finish setting.
8. Just before serving, dust each custard with a fine veil of cocoa through a small sieve and serve with a butter biscuit, to crumble over the top or dip into the custard for crunch.