couer a la creme with raspberry sauce

Couer a la creme.  Did you take French?  Do you know what that mean?  Until last week I had not a clue.  That is what supper club is for.  To learn and try new things in the kitchen.  Couer a la creme translates to heart of cream.  It is a combination of cream cheese and cream that drains and thickens over night.  You get the taste of cheesecake with only 1 1/2 blocks of cream cheese rather then 4 blocks and no baking.  The results of this dessert looks and tastes like you worked much harder then you actually did.  Impressive and delicious.  This would be perfect for Valentine's Day or adjusted for a savory flavor in the fall.  I am already thinking about a pumpkin sauce.  If you don't have a couer a la creme dish you can use a seven inch sieve.  I am glad I took a picture of it before I left the house because by the time we ate the dessert I am not entirely certain my focusing skills were top notch.  Thanks Ina you have made entertaining elegant, tasty and simple.

couer a la creme with raspberry sauce
source: barefoot contessa

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
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
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 off, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste.  Start the mixer on low until ingredients are incorporated.  Bring the mixer up to high speed and beat until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7-inch coeur a la creme dish with fine cheesecloth so the ends drape over the sides and suspend it over a bowl, making sure that there is space between the bottom of the dish 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 sauce:


1/2 of a  half-pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur


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.