When my mom passed away at the end of January, the one question that kept clawing its way through the numbness was, “Did I get all the good recipes?” I’m not going to make excuses for, or justify that to anyone. There was a lot going on in those moments - and even the years leading to those moments - that really prevented me from processing her passing in a way that most would consider normal. That said, if you’ve stuck around for a while (in social media channels), you know how closely I hold the value of “traditional recipes,” for everything from that first Penn State football game, to Thanksgiving, to the the seasoned pretzel recipe (also from my mom) that starts with “melt a stick of butter.” Mmmmm . . . Butter. A double batch of those doesn’t even last two hours in our house.
I digress . . .
Yes, I had asked her for favorite recipes over the years, as my memory would recall a special moment in time, or a particular childhood craving would pop up out of nowhere.
I was once at a church’s New Member Brunch, and struck up a conversation with the elderly church member who had been in charge of coordinating those brunches for three (plus) decades. When she realized my maiden name, she exclaimed, “Ohhh, your mother’s Wine Punch is what we’ve been serving at these brunches for at least 20-some years. I immediately texted my mom for that recipe.
The question remains still, did I get “all the good ones?” I guess I’ll never be sure. I do have open access to her vintage, hinged metal recipe boxes, but I never ventured into them, as I’m not even sure how they are organized. Don’t get me wrong, knowing my mom, they ARE organized. But it was always easier to ask, and have her produce the recipe in a fraction of the time it would take me to dig and sort and scan and repeat.
When I was a little girl, my parents did quite a bit of entertaining. Every once in a while, my taste buds’ collective memory can distinctly recall an appetizer my mom would make, with asparagus wrapped in thinly rolled out pieces of bread, then toasted in the oven. They were delicious, even to the little girl who hated her vegetables. It’s me, I was that little girl.
The dessert I remember my mom serving the most, at quaint yet elegant dinner parties, was something called Pots de Creme.
With all the cooking magazines I get, the blogs I follow, and the recipe sites I’m on, I’ve never noticed any real influx of the popularity of this decadent, rich French dessert. Though, with a quick Google search I did find that Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond blogged about the dessert back in 2008, thankfully educating us on the proper pronunciation, Po de Krehm, and NOT Pawt dee Creem. The pronunciation is important, because it elevates this fancy little dessert even further.
Many years ago, I asked my mom about the chocolate dessert she used to serve in those “cute little covered mugs.” That year, at Christmas - which is also very close to my and Big Sexy’s wedding anniversary - my parents presented us with a very fancy holiday themed box. Tucked into that box were six sets of proper Pots de Creme cups, that perfectly matched their own, with my mother’s hand-written recipe. I remember her remarking that she could only find six - and she loved the challenge of finding those little retired, porcelain dishes - but that someday I would have hers, for a “complete set of 12.”
But, as my story goes, I never did unpack those little dishes. First because of an impending move. Then, because the home we moved to required (and still requires) many, many remodeling projects be done. It was easier to keep them safely tucked away, in their pretty box. Then, two years ago January, my mom was diagnosed with ALS - which is, pardon my language, a bitch of a disease. It did not take long for my mom to lose her ability to both speak and eat, having a feeding tube placed back in October of 2020. At that point, I felt an odd sense of guilt, unwrapping those little lidded dishes and making a recipe shared with me by my mom, that she could no longer indulge in.
It’s been about six weeks since she passed, and last Friday I wanted to have a #latenightdatenight with Big Sexy (that’s the hubs), & The Bips (my kiddos). I made us all New York Strips, Roasted Parmesan Broccoli, Baked Potatoes, Mac & Cheese (for the boys), and our traditional House Salad. But first, I finally unwrapped those delicate little porcelain cups, lids and saucers, and pulled out my mom’s original recipe in her iconic, instantly-recognizable handwriting.
I did a little research before commencing the preparation of this easy, four ingredient recipe. What once was something to stand over the stove with a watchful eye, insuring that the scalded cream did not curdle, or that the egg yolks did not scramble, became something that I knew would adapt easily to Pampered Chef’s Deluxe Cooking Blender, on the Sauce Setting. If ice cream starters would work in this innovative kitchen appliance, why not Pots de Creme?
I put the light cream and egg yolks in the blender and set it to the Sauce Setting. Then walked away, to get the rest of our meal prepared. Once the blender paused for Add Ins, I added the chocolate chips and brandy.
Now, if I’m being honest, I SHOULD have hit “Cancel” dropped in those Add Ins, then pulsed until combined. But, I wanted to be sure the alcohol in the brandy had time to cook out, leaving just the flavor to perfectly accent the rich chocolate. So, I simply clicked on the button to pause the Sauce setting, put in the chocolate chips and brandy and hit the wheel again, letting the blender both . . . well . . . blend AND continue to cook the mixture for about ten minutes, until it reached 196°. At that point I turned the blender off, allowed it to sit for about 10 minutes, then pour the mixture, evenly, into those sweet little Pots de Creme cups, and chilled in the fridge until we were ready to indulge.
After dinner, I served my family Pots de Creme in our proper little pots. One bite, and I was instantly transported back to my childhood home, at a fancy dinner party in the formal dining room, feeling like such a big girl eating a dessert made with a few splashes of alcohol.
My mom would have been so excited to know how much easier an already easy recipe became in a new appliance (she had one too). I’m sorry I never had the opportunity to share my discovery with her. Instead, I’ve chosen to share my memories, my discovery, and my mom’s recipe with you all.
A few things to note:
⚜️ Do you need Traditional Pots de Creme “dishware?” No! Basically the traditional PdC set is an Espresso Demitasse cups & saucer set, without the matching lid. Use those, if you have them.
⚜️ Pots de Creme/Espresso Demitasse cups are TINY! Aren’t they too small for a dessert? Nope! Pots de Creme - whether my mom’s recipe or one of the many recipes you can find in a quick Google search - are very rich and pack a delicious wallop on the taste buds. In this case, less is more!
⚜️ I don’t have these damn PdC/Espresso cups you keep going on and ON about. What now? Any type of barware designed to hold between 4oz. & 6oz. will do. Just ensure you’ve poured the mixer evenly. Remember, too, that the more room you leave at the top of the dish, the more homemade whipped Creme you can add on top.
⚜️ I need to be a part of your PdC movement, a culinary trend setter! I researched, I bought the PdC sets, complete with lids! I even bought that fabulous Deluxe Cooking Blender! I made the PdC, I poured the PdC, I CHILLED the PdC. But now, I cannot get my SPOON into the PdC to taste its delicious, rich chocolatey-ness! Send. Help!! A quick Google search for Demitasse Spoons, should lead you to all kinds of possibilities. Little spoons to access your little PdC pots, can be purchased in new sets, at relatively little cost. Or, spend some time searching for and gathering beautiful antiques. Bottom line, there is a spoon (and lid) for every PdC pot!
As my mom noted on her written recipe, ENJOY! 🙂
