Coeurs à la crème, literally “hearts of cream,” are the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert. The consistency of cheese custard, the desserts are allowed to set in heart-shaped baskets or in molds with perforated bottoms (to allow moisture to drain). Coeur à la crème molds are available in specialty food stores. The dessert can also be molded in custard cups or ramekins after letting it drain in a cheesecloth-lined sieve. Although French coeur à la crème contains no sugar, many people find it more tempting with a little powdered sugar stirred in.Traditional recipes call for fromage blanc or fromage fraisfresh cheeses that have a consistency similar to yogurt but none of the tang. Our substitute works well, but if you have a source for the fresh cheese, buy 1 pound and mix it with the 1/2 cup heavy cream. Above all, do not try to use reduced-fat ingredients in this recipethe mixture may not set if you do.
Puree in a food processor for 30 seconds:
1 cup creamy small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
Scrape into a bowl and fold in:
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
Cut a sheet of cheesecloth into six 7-inch squares, dampen with cold water, and line coeur-à-la-crème molds with the cheesecloth. Pack the cheese mixture into the molds, fold the excess cheesecloth over the tops, and place the molds on a plate. If you are not using molds, place the cheese mixture in a sieve lined with a triple thickness of damp cheesecloth. Let drain in the refrigerator for 24 hours. If not using molds, pack the mixture into cheesecloth-lined custard cups or ramekins. To serve, unmold onto plates and peel off the cheesecloth. Serve with:
