These intense little pots are meant to imitate – and complement – richly flavoured Arabic coffees. Use a good-quality coffee for the recipe, as cheaper ones can be bitter.
75ml (3fl oz) double cream, plus extra to serve, optional
Gold leaf, optional, to serve
Directions
Step 1
Bash cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar to break apart the husks and release seeds (discard husks). Pound seeds until fairly smooth and set aside.
Step 2
Melt chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (don't let base of bowl touch the water).
Step 3
While chocolate is melting, dissolve sugar in hot coffee, then stir in vanilla and ground cardamom. Pour hot coffee mixture into melted chocolate and stir until smooth (it may look as if it won't come together, but it will be fine). Next, pour in cream and mix until glossy and smooth.
Step 4
Divide among six small coffee cups (pipe mixture into cups for a neater finish) and set aside if serving within 5hr, or chill if making ahead.
Step 5
To serve, take pots out of the fridge at least 1hr before serving (if chilled). Decorate with gold leaf and extra cream, if using, and serve.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
