Chocolate, hazelnut and fleur de sel pots de crème… a sweet treat

Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Fleur de Sel Pot de Crème

from “Small Plates and Sweet Treats: My Family’s Journey to Gluten-Free Cooking”

Makes six 4-ounce custards

1/4 cup (30 g) hazelnuts
2 cups (500 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeded
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup (50 g) coconut palm sugar or light brown sugar
2 tablespoons hazelnut butter
2 ounces (60 g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
2 ounces (60 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel

1. Preheat the oven to 350oF (180oC). Roast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes until golden and fragrant. Place them in a dry kitchen towel and rub the towel against their skin to remove it. Let the hazelnuts cool and then chop them coarsely. Reduce the oven temperature to 300oF (150oC).

2. In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk, the vanilla bean, and its seeds over medium heat. Bring to a low simmer.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, coconut palm sugar, and hazelnut butter until almost lump-free.

4. When the coconut milk has come to a simmer, remove the pan from the heat. Remove the vanilla pod and add the milk and bittersweet chocolates. Stir to melt the chocolates into the milk.

5. Pour a little bit of the hot coconut milk mixture over the eggs while whisking to keep the eggs from coagulating. Add the rest of the mixture and whisk. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Add the fleur de sel and stir.

6. Pour the custard into 6 (4-ounce) oven-safe ramekins or jars. Place the ramekins in a deep baking pan and place the pan on the oven rack. Add enough hot water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, creating a water bath.

7. Bake the custard for 30 to 40 minutes or until the center is set. Let the ramekins cool to room temperature. They can be served at room temperature or chilled.