Dress up Your Dessert for the Holidays

This classic recipe relies on a short list of ingredients and demands a high-quality dark chocolate to deliver its rich, deep flavor.
Dress up Your Dessert for the Holidays
If you're looking for a luscious, make-ahead dessert for the holiday season, chocolate pots de creme provide an elegant finale to a festive meal. Photo by Lynda Balslev for Tastefood
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If you’re looking for a luscious, make-ahead dessert for the holiday season, chocolate pots de creme provide an elegant finale to a festive meal. These little terrines are filled with a rich and silky chocolate custard that is best prepared one day in advance of serving, making them ideal for entertaining and cooking for a crowd.

This classic recipe relies on a short list of ingredients and demands a high-quality dark chocolate to deliver its rich, deep flavor. It’s fortified with a splash of orange liqueur that faintly perfumes the custard. While the pots can be simply adorned with a dollop of whipped cream, add a little extra holiday sparkle with a dusting of orange-infused sugar. It’s a zesty garnish that lends bright citrusy notes to balance the creamy chocolate while accentuating the orange that ripples through the custard and whipped cream.

Lynda Balslev
Lynda Balslev
Author
Lynda Balslev is a cookbook author, food and travel writer, and recipe developer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives with her Danish husband, two children, a cat, and a dog. Balslev studied cooking at Le Cordon Bleu Ecole de Cuisine in Paris and worked as a personal chef, culinary instructor, and food writer in Switzerland and Denmark. Copyright 2025 Lynda Balslev. Distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication.