Welcome to Audrey Keown!

A warm welcome to Audrey Keown, whose first book, MURDER AT HOTEL 1911 is being released on September 8th! Be sure to enter the giveaway! See the instructions below.

This is one of those recipes that feels a little dangerous. (And we like danger, don’t we, mystery readers?)

George Anghelescu is the renowned chef at the period-themed hotel in my debut mystery Murder at Hotel 1911. His career and freedom are jeopardized when narcissistic business mogul Amelia Swain dies from an apparent allergic reaction to shellfish after eating one of his dinners.

The night before her death, George serves rich and elegant chocolate pots de crème. (The exacting Ms. Swain asks the dinner server, “And you made absolutely sure there is no fish whatsoever in that recipe?”)

But George enjoys “stirring the pot.” Innovation is a constant element in his kitchen, and he’s always getting inspiration from what the local farm delivers or from the Romanian food he grew up with.

In the warmer months, he would likely deliver pots de crème in a chill summery flavor like horchata, the classic Mexican drink, creating a Mexican-French fusion dessert. (George is fancy like that.)

Horchata is traditionally made with soaked rice, which gives the agua fresca a creamy and cooling consistency. Depending on where you are, it might also be flavored with almonds, condensed milk, or even melon, but cinnamon is always a big part of the flavor combo.

In this case, George has left out the rice in favor of the classic pots de crème thickening combo: heavy cream and eggs. (If you want to reduce the fat content, you can switch out half a cup or so of the cream for milk.)

Not counting the garnish, the recipe calls for just six, simple ingredients, (most of which you probably don’t have to make a masked trip to the store for—thanks, Corona), but the way you combine them turns the mundane into a dish that’s truly transcendent.

The richness of thick, sweet custard makes the tiny serving size just right. Any larger and you might have to ride the elevator straight up to your room at Hotel 1911 and sleep it off. The consistency and flavor remind me of crème brulee without the crunchy caramel top—which, let’s face it, is a bit of trouble.

The dangerous part of the recipe (okay, besides the fat content) is adding the hot cream to the eggs. This process is excellent for creating an inedible soup of cream and hardened egg bits if you’re not careful.

To temper the eggs without curdling them, proceed cautiously, starting with a slow stream of cream as you whisk. This process may create some foam, which you can scoop off for a smoother top to your finished custards. (If you end up with eggy floaters despite your best intentions, all is not lost. You can strain them out before pouring the mixture into the custard dishes.) I trust you’ll get the hang of it, and then you’ll be baking these all the time.

Horchata Pots de Crème

Ingredients

2 c. heavy cream (a.k.a. whipping cream)

1/8 tsp. salt (sea, Pink Himalayan, hey--whatever you like)

6 large egg yolks

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. cinnamon (George would use Ceylon.)

Lime zest, chopped almonds, or toasted coconut to garnish

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and heat a good quantity of water in your kettle or what have you.

In your favorite saucepan, bring the cream and salt to a simmer on medium heat. Stir occasionally.

In the meantime, whisk yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until they’re a bit lighter in color. 

Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture. When it’s smooth, stir in the vanilla extract and cinnamon.

Set six oven-safe jars or ramekins in a large baking dish and divide the custard mixture evenly among them. Place the baking dish on your middle oven rack, and gently pour in your hot water until it comes halfway up the sides of your jars.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the custards are still wobbly in the middle but set around the edges.

Use a potholder to remove the (hot!) dishes from the water bath. Let cool five minutes, then refrigerate until chilled completely, about 4 hours. (Technically, you could eat them warm, but the custard becomes thicker and delightfully refreshing as it cools.)

Serve with a sprinkle of lime zest, toasted coconut, or chopped almonds.

Whisk eggs-yolks only-with sugar until just blended. You don’t want the eggs to foam.

Horchata pot de crème mixed and ready to pour into ramekins. Chef George recommends this recipe for cooks who want an impressive, make-ahead dessert that’s actually no trouble at all.

Cinnamon is warming, but this chilled dessert remains cool and refreshing, especially with a garnish of lime zest.

Don’t have fancy dishes like George does at Hotel 1911? You can bake these velvety custards in small ramekins or, as I did, in Oui yogurt jars!

Audrey Keown set her mystery series in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the place she calls home. She lost her heart to the city in the early days of its downtown revival, and its bridges, coffee shops, breweries, parks, and people are its mixtape back to her. For ten years she wrote professionally for Chatter magazine and the Chattanooga Times Free Press, which sharpened her storytelling skills for cutting into fiction writing. Themes of redemption and connection to history often find their way into her work. Like her protagonist, she has battled anxiety and writes about mental illness in her fiction in hopes of helping lift the stigma. This is her first book.  

Audrey is very kindly giving away a copy of  Murder at Hotel 1911 to one lucky person. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. US only, please. Good luck!