Recipes

Velvety Crème au Chocolat and Blueberries

“Chocolate-covered blueberries were one of my favourite candies when I was young. They inspired me to create this delicious and easy-to-prepare dessert.”

Serves:
8
Prep Time:
45 min
Cook Time:
90 min

Ingredients

Crème au Chocolat

  • 2 cups ( 500 mL ) Dark chocolate buttons (60% cacao)
  • 1 cup ( 250 mL ) Milk
  • 1 cup ( 250 mL ) 35% cream
  • ¼ cup ( 60 mL ) Sugar
  • 5 Egg yolks

Honey Meringues

  • 6 Egg whites
  • ⅓ cup ( 75 mL ) Honey
  • ½ cup ( 125 mL ) Sugar

to assemble

  • 2 cups ( 500 mL ) Fresh blueberries
  • ¼ cup ( 60 mL ) Honey
  • 1 tbsp ( 15 mL ) Lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

Crème au Chocolat

  1. Pour the chocolate buttons into a high-rimmed container.
  2. In a saucepan, bring the milk, cream, and half the sugar to a boil.
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar.
  4. While whisking, gradually pour the boiling liquid over the yolks to temper them.
  5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a spatula until the cream coats the back of a spoon or reaches 183°F (84°C) on a thermometer.
  6. Strain the cream through a fine sieve directly over the chocolate buttons and let rest for 1 minute.
  7. Using an immersion blender, emulsify the crème anglaise and the chocolate.
  8. Pour into 8 glasses and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
  9. Tip: the crème au chocolat can be stored in the fridge for up to five days. Cover them with plastic wrap to prevent the tops from drying out.

Honey Meringues

  1. Preheat oven to 95°C (200°F)
  2. In a bowl, combine the egg whites, honey, and sugar. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir with a spatula until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot to the touch.
  3. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed until the egg whites are glossy and stand in stiff peaks.
  4. Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, shape small meringues about 0.8″ wide on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
  5. Place the meringues in the oven and check them after 1½ hours. They should be perfectly crispy. If they are still soft in the middle, place them back in the oven for another 30 minutes.
  6. Let them cool and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
  7. Tip: the recipe yields more meringues than required for the 8 desserts. Remaining meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They are a delicious snack on their own or accompanied with ice cream and fruit.

Assembly

  1. In a large frying pan over high heat, heat the honey until lightly caramelized.
  2. Add the blueberries and cook them for a few seconds to heat them through.
  3. Remove from heat, add the lemon juice and zest, and let cool for several minutes.
  4. Place a large spoonful of warm blueberries over each chocolate cream and top with meringues.