There’s no better way to celebrate Valentines Day than with the rich taste of a decadent chocolate dessert. And when that dessert is super easy to make and you don’t even have to turn on your oven, that’s even better.

Traditional Pots de Creme (pronounced “poh-deh-crehm) are silky-smooth custards baked in a water bath in an oven. But these two recipes only need a couple of hours in the refrigerator to set up. Which means you can use other containers for your delicious desserts that don’t have to be oven safe. And another bonus: they can be made several days in advance, making them even more convenient.

Garnish with some scratch-made whipped cream, fresh fruit, or even a chocolate-dipped cherry, and you have an elegant treat sure to win the affections of your favorite Valentine.

I’m sharing two recipes for this super simple treat. The first one is easy and the second is even easier. Both are delicious and since I couldn’t decide which I liked more, I decided to share them both. Keep in mind the first one that is cooked on the stove makes almost twice as much as the other one. I found these online and modified them slightly. You’ll find links to the original recipes as well. Enjoy!

Easy Chocolate Pots de Creme

Put 9 ounces, or 1 1/2 cups, of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips into a blender and pulse a few times until chocolate is ground up. For the next step, you can use a heavy-bottomed saucepan on the stove, or a large glass bowl in the microwave. In your chosen container, whisk together 6 large egg yolks, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1 cup of heavy cream, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

For the stove, cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a spoon or silicon spatula, until the mixture coats the back of your utensil and just barely starts to simmer, around 5 minutes. DON’T OVERCOOK or the eggs in your mixture will become grainy. If that happens, you can save the custard by pushing it through a fine mesh strainer.

For the microwave, cook on high for one minute, stir, then cook for 30 seconds at a time and stir again until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of your spatula. It’s just as easy to overcook in the microwave as it is the stove, but at least you don’t have to worry about the custard sticking.

Once the custard is cooked, immediately pour it into the blender with the chocolate. Put on the lid and hold it down with a towel, to prevent the hot liquid from spewing up and making a mess or burning you. Process at a lower speed, then increase the speed, until the mixture is smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides if needed. It should only take a minute.

Pour the custard into your dishes: ramekins are great, wine glasses, small dessert dishes, etc. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours until set and don’t take them out until ready to serve. Garnish with whipped cream, fresh fruit, shaved chocolate, etc.

This makes 6 to 8 servings. The original recipe from the Food Network is here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/chocolate-pots-de-creme-recipe-1972992

Easier Chocolate Pots de Creme

In a blender, pulse together until fine: 2/3 cup of chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet minis), 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. In the microwave, heat 1 cup of heavy cream to boiling. (Heat to a simmer on the stove if you don’t have access to a microwave.). Pour the hot cream into the blender, add a dash of vanilla extract, put on the lid with a towel on top for safety, and process on high until smooth, scraping down the sides if needed. Pour the mixture into your dishes, put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then leave them there until ready to serve. Garnish as desired.

Makes 2 to 4 servings, depending on the size of your dishes. The original recipe is here: https://www.averiecooks.com/easy-chocolate-pots-de-creme/