Be my Valentine!

When I started working at Cooks I discovered that there is a certain pan for just about anything. Donut pans, popover pans, scone pans, Abelskiver pan, and even a special pan for making brownie edge pieces. Who knew? When I saw the Coeur a la cream dish I was amazed, and really intrigued (it is a heart shaped dish with holes in the bottom). I learned that it is used to make a very delicious french dessert. I knew I would have to try it out, and what better opportunity than for Valentines day? It is really simple to make, though it requires some planning ahead of time (due to the chilling and draining overnight), and preferably some special equipment, such as the cheesecloth (which I assume is not a staple in most people's kitchen!). You don't have to make it in this special mold, a sieve is commonly used as well. You may also have to go to a specialty store for the vanilla beans. But trust me, it is all well worth your while. This dessert is heavenly! Very smooth, and refreshing, and pretty. I just love it! From my heart to yours -Enjoy!

Coeur a la Creme with raspberry sauce

12oz (340gr.) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar*

2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

2 t pure vanilla extract

1/4 t grated lemon zest

seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

1 12 oz. (340 gr.) bag frozen raspberries, thawed

2T powdered sugar

Lemon juice

Place the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes (start out slowly so the powdered sugar doesn't fly everywhere!). 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, about 4 minutes.

Line a heart shaped mold or 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 mold/sieve for the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate over night.

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

Sauce:
Place thawed  raspberries, powdered sugar, and a splash of lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth about 1 minute. Drain sauce and discard seeds.

For a more grown-up version add a splash of Grand Marnier to the sauce.

*Confectioners sugar is just a fancy name for powdered sugar.

 (Recipe from Ina Garten/Foodnetwork, 2004).