4 egg yolks
4 T sugar
16 oz whipping cream
8 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1 t vanilla
Whisk the yolks and sugar together in a medium saucepan with 6 oz of the heavy cream. Cook over a medium-low flame, stirring carefully for 3-4 minutes. Don’t let it boil. When the mixture coats the back of a spoon, remove it from the heat. Whisk in the chocolate and vanilla and chill it.
Whip the remaining cream with the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir about a third of this into the cooled chocolate mixture. With a spatula, gently fold in the remainder. Spoon into pretty serving dishes and chill for a half hour before serving. You can also refrigerate it overnight, but if you do, allow it to sit at room temperature for about a half hour before serving. It shouldn’t be served super-cold.