Coeur A La Creme With Passion Fruit Sauce Food

COEUR A LA CREME WITH PASSION FRUIT SAUCE

Steps:

• Beat the fromage blanc until smooth. If using cottage cheese, puree it in a blender until smooth. Mix the cheese with the heavy cream and sour cream. Sweeten to taste with the sugar.
• Spoon the mixture into four white porcelain coeur a la creme molds or one large coeur a la creme mold. Alternately, you can spoon the mixture into a heart-shaped basket or even into a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Cover the top. Place the mold or basket in a pan in the refrigerator or place the strainer over a bowl in the refrigerator. Allow the cheese mixture to drain at least eight hours or overnight.
• Slice off the tops of the passion fruits and scoop the pulp out into a bowl. Mix with the honey and liqueur.
• Just before serving, unmold the drained cheese onto a plate or plates. Spoon the sauce around it. Garnish with strawberries.

COEUR à LA CRèME

Steps:

• I am amused when guests comment how light the cream is-this is pure sleight of hand, as the ingredients are extremely rich. If you are serving this, skip the cheese course.
• The aim is to whip the white ingredients into a smooth homogenous cream. Process the mascarpone, cream cheese and sugar, then briefly whiz in the other ingredients, scraping down sides of the processor.
• Line the molds with wet muslin or cheesecloth, leaving enough to fold over the top so they are completely enclosed, and place them in a rimmed dish or tray. (The muslin can be put through the washing machine and reused, but it does shrink, so the first time you use it cut it out very generously to allow for this.) Mound up the filling in the molds-it will gently sink as it drains-and set the tray aside in the fridge for about 8 hours. Then remove and carefully invert the molds, peel away the muslin, and serve surrounded with fruits. Dust with confectioners' sugar if you wish.

COEUR A LA CREME

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine well the cream cheese, ricotta, salt, sugar, lemon peel and vanilla. Fold in the heavy cream which has been beaten until soft peaks have formed.
• Wet cheese cloth and squeeze out excess moisture. Line mold or molds with a double thickness of cheese cloth, cut large enough to fold back over filled mold. Spoon cheese mixture into mold and fold the cheese cloth over the top. Place mold on a rack over a pan. Let it drain overnight in the refrigerator. To serve, unwrap, invert and unmold onto a plate and spoon Apricot Sauce over the top.
• In a saucepan cover the apricots with hot water and add the vanilla bean. Let stand for 30 minutes. Add the sugar and simmer the apricots for 40 minutes, stirring frequently, or until soft. Drain the fruits, discarding the vanilla bean and reserving the liquid, and transfer them to a serving dish. Add the cherries and angelica. Reduce cooking liquid until it is syrupy and stir in the galiano. Pour syrup while still hot over fruit. Stir in lemon juice. Add water to thin sauce to desired consistency. Let cool. Chill, covered; until ready to serve.
• Yield: 1 1/2 cups

COEUR A LA CREME WITH RASPBERRY AND GRAND MARNIER SAUCE

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.

COEUR A LA CREME WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• LA CREME: In a large bowl combine well the cream cheese, ricotta, salt, sugar, lemon peel and vanilla. Fold in the heavy cream which has been beaten until soft peaks have formed.
• Wet cheese cloth and squeeze out excess moisture. Line mold or molds with a double thickness of cheese cloth, cut large enough to fold back over filled mold.
• Spoon cheese mixture into mold and fold the cheese cloth over the top. Place mold on a rack over a pan. Let it drain overnight in the refrigerator.
• APRICOT SAUCE: Place apricots and vanilla bean in a saucepan with just enough boiling water to cover them. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Add the sugar and simmer the apricots for 40 minutes, stirring frequently, or until soft. Drain the fruits, discarding the vanilla bean and reserving the liquid, and transfer the fruits to a serving dish.
• Add the cherries and Angelica to the liquid. Reduce cooking liquid until it is syrupy. Stir in the Galliano and lemon juice.
• Pour hot syrup over fruit. Let cool, then chill covered until ready to serve.
• TO SERVE: unwrap, invert, and unmold the La Creme onto a plate and spoon Apricot Sauce over the top.

COEUR à LA CRèME WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut a piece of cheesecloth into four 6-inch squares. Dampen and wring out lightly. Press one square into each of four perforated heart-shaped ceramic molds and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the mascarpone cheese, 1/4 cup of the cream, the vanilla, the 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the Chambord until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate.
• In a small bowl, whip the remaining 1 cup cream and the confectioners' sugar until the cream forms stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the chilled cheese mixture in three batches. Spoon the finished mixture into the prepared molds and fold the edges of the cheesecloth over the tops. Lightly tap at the bottoms of the molds on the counter to remove and air spaces between the mixture and the molds. Refrigerate on a tray or baking sheet a minimum of 2 to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, make raspberry sauce:
• In a blender or food processor, purée the raspberries, granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Taste the sauce for sweetness and adjust the sugar or lemon juice as needed. Strain and refrigerate.
• Assemble and serve:
• Unfold the cheesecloth and drape it over the sides of the molds. Invert each mold onto a serving plate. While pressing down on the corners of the cheesecloth carefully lift off the mold. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon and remove the cheesecloth slowly.
• Spoon raspberry sauce onto the plate around the heart and garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves.

SAVORY COEUR A LA CREME

Steps:

• Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until it is firm like whipped cream. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick.
• Line a 6-inch coeur a la creme mold or 6-inch sieve with a few layers of cheesecloth, allowing the excess to drape over the sides. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Fold the excess cheesecloth over the top of the cream. Place the mold on a plate or suspend the sieve over a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to serve, unmold the creme upside down onto a plate and pour the chutney over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Serve chilled with crackers.