According to top chefs, one of the best ways to impress a loved one is to whip up your own indulgent creation and when better to experiment than Valentine’s Day? After sampling some delicious chocolate pots at Blueprint Café’s recent chocolate and wine-tasting event, The Artful Diner couldn’t resist asking for the recipe. So, head chef Barry Macmillan kindly obliged. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (makes 4-5 ramekins)

12-15 pitted cherries
75ml milk
175ml double cream
175g 70% dark chocolate
40ml egg yolk (2 medium yolks)
50g icing sugar

Method:

Place three pitted cherries in the base of each ramekin. Next, boil the milk and cream and pour over the chocolate. Whisk the egg yolks and icing sugar, then add to the chocolate. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, then pour onto the cherries.

Bake in a low oven at 110°C for 8-9 minutes. Once cooked, leave to cool. Then place in a fridge for two hours. When you're ready to serve them, pipe a rosette of whipped cream onto each chocolate pot. Shortbread biscuits make a nice accompaniment.