Lemon Verbena Pots de Crème with Berries

Lemon Verbena Pots de Crème with Berries

This lemony dessert is a snap to make. The pots de crème have a complex lemon flavor thanks to the use of lemon and lemon verbena.
Serves 10-4 ounce servings

8 lemons
16 ounces (2 cups) granulated sugar
40 lemon verbena leaves
36 ounces (4 1/2 cups) heavy cream
4 ounces white chocolate, in small pieces (Valrona or Callebaut)

Garnish:
1 pint strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds or chopped pistachios

1. Remove the zest of the lemon so you have 4- 2”x ½” pieces. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and strain it through a fine sieve into a liquid measuring cup. You need 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) lemon juice.

2. In a large pot combine the sugar, zest, lemon verbena leaves, and cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for several minutes. Keep this warm on the side of the stove covered for 10 minutes to extract the flavor from the lemon verbena and zest. Strain the infused cream into a large bowl and discard the zest and lemon verbena leaves.

3. Stir in the white chocolate, until completely melted into the cream. Whisk the lemon juice into the infused cream. Pour into a glass measuring cup and pour into individual serving dishes.* Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours until set. (The pots de crème can be baked up to two days ahead and stored tightly wrapped refrigerated.)

Just before serving decorate with berries, and toasted flaked almonds or pistachios.

*For a bubble free top blow torch the top of the cream mixture for 10 seconds