Pastry chef extraordinaire Ravi Varma does not have an answer one might expect when we ask him what his Valentine’s Day plans are. “I want to play dessert cupid,” says the chef, who helms La Patisserie at Taj Coromandel, which currently has an ongoing Valentine’s Day Special Dessert Market. Edible bouquets, hand-rolled rose truffles and of course, heart shaped cakes... if the way to your special someone’s heart involves chocolate, this is the right place. That said, what says a personalised Valentine’s Day gift better than making one yourself? This French-style silken chocolate baked custard, flavoured with rose, tastes like a dream and takes only 30 minutes to put together. For a healthy touch, use 70 per cent dark cocoa and fresh berries. What are you waiting for? Whip out that apron and let’s get baking.

Rose Chocolate pot de crème
 
Ingredients:
Dark Chocolate - 100 gms
Egg yolk - 1 
Dairy Cream - 100 ml  
Sugar - 10 gms  
Rose flavouring - 3 ml  
Scented fresh rose - 1 
 
Method:
Take out rose petals, wash and dry them under sun . You could also use a dehydrator in an oven at 80C.  Keep them aside. |  Mix egg yolk and sugar, add boiled cream to the mixture. | Add chopped chocolate into it when the mixture is warm, allow the chocolate to melt. |  Mix it properly to avoid  any lumps of chocolate.  |  Add rose flavouring.  |  Pour the mixture in an oven proof ceramic container (ramekin).  |  Take a baking dish, pour water to a height of one cm, place the ramekin bowl and bake in the oven tray 150C for 15 min.  |  Once baked, allow it to cool and serve chilled. |  Garnish with dry rose petals.

Tip: If you don’t have access to an oven, this dessert can be prepared in a pan with a water bath. Serve with berries and white,  milk or  dark chocolate.

This dessert is available at the Dessert Market, till February 14.