Friday, February 11, 2022

Weekend Baking: Loaf Pan Peasant Bread + A Faster Way to Pot de Crème + 10 Favorite Chocolate Recipes

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive about my mother's peasant bread recipe is how to make it in a loaf pan. Last week I shared the recipe adapted for a single, standard loaf pan over on Cup of Jo. You can find notes below the recipe that address using whole wheat flour, doubling the recipe, and storing the bread. 🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞

Loaf Pan Peasant Bread

A Faster Way to Pot de Crème

If you've ever made pot de crème (pronounced "po de krehm"), you're likely comfortable baking with a water bath: setting vessels filled with custard into a larger pan, pouring in hot water, then setting the pan in the oven to bake slowly.

I find water baths to be a total pain: all the hot water sloshing about; the awkward process of retrieving the baked custards from the hot water; the lengthy cooking time followed by the lengthy chill time.

A few years ago I learned a faster way to pot de crème by making the custard stovetop, skipping the water bath altogether. On the stovetop, the custard comes together incredibly quickly, and after it sets in the fridge for 1 hour, it's ready to serve.

The best part? You can make a batch that yields 2 servings! How nice? Get the recipe and watch the video here:

Stovetop Pot de Crème

PS: This time last year, I was preparing to teach a virtual Valentine's Day dinner cooking class. The menu consisted of tangerine spritzes, a citrusy-avocado salad, pan-seared duck breasts with port wine sauce, and chocolate pot de crème for two. If you have any interest recreating this menu on your own, this Google Doc has all the details: shopping list, prep list and the recipes. 💕💕💕💕