Valentine's Pot de Creme

After spending a few hours at the beach (75* today & beautiful), we stopped at Santa Monica Seafood to pick up some shrimp for tonight. I love the new and improved SM Seafood.  When I am in there, I feel as like I am in New York.   We also popped into Huckleberry for a snack.  If I were EVER to open my own cafe, it would be similar in so many ways to this place.  It reminds me of Tartine in San Francisco!  Eli was eyeing the pudding and mumbled that he would love for he and I to make some pudding for tonight's dinner.  I agreed.

We made Vanilla Pots de Creme from Sherry Yard's  The Secret of Baking.  They are rich, silky and delicious.  I thought about making the chocolate version, but the kids consumed so much See's Candy today.  Enough is enough.

Tonight's dinner menu:

Arugula salad w/shaved parm
Shrimp cocktails ( Isaac's request)
Grilled roma tomatoes & onions
Roasted Fingerling potatoes
Grilled Lamb Chops w/a Chimichurri sauce

Vanilla Pot de Creme


1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, cold
2 large egg yolk, cold
pinch of salt


•preheat oven to 325*.  Place the ramekins ( I used small little cups I got at Cost Plus ) in a larger baking pan.
• bring milk, cream, sugar & vanilla bean & seeds to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.  Reove from heat, cover w/plastic wrap, & let steep for 15 mins.
• Whisk eggs, egg yolks and salt in a med. bowl
• After steeping, bring the milk mixture back to a simmer over mediu heat.  Remove 1/2 cup of milk mixture and slowly add to eggs while whisking.  Pour the mixture back into the hot milk whisking constantly.  
• Strain through a fine strainer into the bowl of a large measuring cup.  Fill each ramekin to the rim with the custard.  Fill the larger pan with hot water until the water is 2/3 the way up the ramekin.
• Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake 40-45 minutes.  They are done when set and have a uniform jiggle.
• Chill the custards for at least 2 hours.  

Happy Valentine's Day!