I don’t make a lot of what I call fancy desserts. You won’t see a lot of complicated baked goods or intricately decorated cakes here. What I prefer, and I think I’m not alone, are desserts that are simple to prepare and a pleasure to eat. Desserts and baked goods that we, as home bakers, can easily achieve without a lot of fuss.

These little chocolate pots are one of those magical desserts that are embarrassingly simple to make but are elegant enough to be worthy of a very special occasion.

If you aren’t familiar with the term, pot de crème means pot of custard. If you want to sound all French about it, it’s pronounced po-duh-crem. Basically, it’s a cooked custard made of just a few ingredients that you most likely have in your kitchen right now. If you call yourself a chocolate fan but have never had a chocolate pots de crème, then you have done yourself an injustice. Trust me.

These are simply a pleasure to eat. They’re smooth and creamy and so very chocolate-y. You can serve them at room temperature, but I love them still a bit chilled. And, I just have to have that dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top.

I used Kahlua, a coffee-flavored liqueur, to add a little extra flavor and richness. Feel free to use another liqueur or even vanilla extract. Or, if you’re an extreme chocolate purist, don’t add anything extra.

As I often do, I will implore you to use a very good quality chocolate for making these little desserts. Pick one that you enjoy eating on its own. I’ve listed bittersweet chocolate in the ingredients, but use any favorite dark chocolate.

I was recently sent a sampling of chocolate from Bar & Bean, which is an online shop for small-batch chocolate. These chocolate makers follow their chocolate from bean to bar, meaning that they are involved in its making from the time it is still in bean form. That kind of control leads to some really good quality chocolate.

I’m so happy to be able to offer one of you a collection of chocolate from Bar & Bean! The winner will receive a Baker’s Tasting Set. Any of those bars would be fabulous in these pots de crème or even as a wonderful substitution for chocolate chips in classic chocolate chip cookies. Scroll past the recipe for details on how you can enter to win.