Barefoot Bloggers-Bonus Recipe Couer a la Creme

Absolutely delicious! Sinfully rich! These were our first thoughts as we tasted this month's Barefoot Blogger's bonus recipe, Coeur a la Creme. We really liked this traditional French dessert, but I think my husband and I could have split one serving. A whole serving of this is incredibly rich. The texture is very light and fluffy comparable to a whipped cream. Yet, the flavors of the vanilla and lemon extract meld perfectly giving it it a taste similar to a cheesecake. The raspberry sauce was one of the best I have had. Not to sweet and not to tart, a perfect balance. The raspberry sauce would be great accompaniment to other desserts such as cheesecake or a bittersweet chocolate cake. This was a really simple recipe to make. I was a little concerned when I made it because I didn't have an liquid in the bottom of the dish, however, I found out from some of the other Barefoot Bloggers this was completely normal. Coeur a la Creme is traditionally made from unsweetened soft white cheese curds set into porcelain heart-shaped molds with perforated bases for the whey to drain overnight. I imagine those recipes produce a lot of liquid in the bottom. They are then unmoulded and served with cream poured over, covered with sugar. This recipe was very thick when it came out of the mixer and doesn't really have a true soft cheese in it. This dessert would make a beautiful presentation for a Valentine's day dinner or just for a special romantic evening. If you are going to make it, be sure to pick up some of these cute little Coeur a la Creme dishes. Thanks to Becke at Columbus Foodie for this decadent pick.



Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce
Source: Barefoot Contessa in Paris

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce, recipe follows
2 half-pints fresh raspberries

Place the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7-inch sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels so the ends drape over the sides and suspend it over a bowl, making sure that there is space between the bottom of the sieve and the bottom of the bowl for the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate, and drizzle Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce around the base. Serve with raspberries and extra sauce.

Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce:
1 half-pint fresh raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

Place raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and orange liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

Yield: 2 cups