Ricki's Coeur a la Creme Recipe

Valentine's Day holds a special place in Ricki Carroll's heart. If you have been to her workshops, you have met her sweetie, Jamie (otherwise known as "he who builds everything, fixes anything, sings like an angel and is cute to boot!").

For Valentine's Day, Ricki believes there is no better gift for your sweetie than a plate of Coeur a la Crème, smothered in succulent strawberries. (Coeur a la Crème means "Heart of the Cream" in French.) Yum!

There are a zillion variations on this elegant dessert- involving some kind of cream, soft cheese and flavoring. In her book, Home Cheese Making, she has included a recipe which combines Fromage Blanc with cream. To make it, you will need one of our heart shaped molds and butter muslin. For those of you who don't have the book, here is the recipe with a few helpful hints . . .

Coeur a la Crème

1 cup (8 ounces) Fromage Blanc (Ricki prefers to use our Fromagina culture for this. The directions are on the package and it's very easy to make.)

1 T granulated sugar

1 T heavy cream

2 egg whites, beaten until stiff

1. Combine the cheese, sugar and cream. Fold in the egg whites.

2. Spoon into Coeur a la Creme mold lined with butter muslin. (It will help if the butter muslin is wet. This keeps it from sticking to the mold.)  Let set for 6-10 hours in the fridge.

3. Gently pull up the butter muslin to remove the heart from the mold.

4. Serve with fresh fruit, syrup, or melted chocolate. Enjoy!