A Homemade Life: Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry Puree

Saturday was not a pretty day in Thathouse.  After being out of town the previous weekend, I suddenly felt the pressure of getting things under control before our newest member made their arrival.  Which meant it was a very full day, filled with running around, hysteria, and lots of fighting.

Thatboy and I played errand tag.  We weren't both home at the same time until 2:30 in the afternoon.  At which time we had to shower and get ready to head out to HorseWhisper's graduation party.

The party was actually a great chance for me to unwind.  I got to hang out with my friends and catch up.  It always make me feel better seeing M.  She's due a week after me, so great for commiseration.  I spent all day cramping on Saturday, which made me nervous until she told me she had been especially crampy that day too.  Misery loves company.   I also got to sit down for the first time that day and relax.

We came home to more house prep - and I stayed up late fixing the bedskirt I ripped.   But by the end of the weekend, the house was clean, our freezer was stocked, and the nursery was completed.  So success!  Which definitely deserves a celebration.  Between HorseWhisperer and I, you'd think there'd be some cake.  But there wasn't.  That's okay, because we're grown ups, and this is a much more grown up celebration recipe.  This is Wizenberg's mother's recipe, which she brought to her French class.  This is far more grown up than anything we ate or made in my French classes, which was limited to crepes and croque monsieurs.  In fact, I don't think I'd ever even heard of a coeur a la creme until I was well into my adult hood.

It's a dessert that's right up my alley, given my love for panna cotta.  This is like a panna cotta in that it's an easy dessert to put together that magically turns into something "fancy" once it's put in the fridge overnight.  It's a lot cheesier though, due to the cream cheese.  (Which makes it like a cross between cheesecake and panna cotta). 

Both Thatboy and Thatkid dug into this.  Wizenberg writes about eating it straight from the serving platter, which is what we did.  Each of us with a spoon, surrounding the dessert and scooping the sweet, creamy treat into our mouths.

Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry Puree (From A Homemade Life)

3 oz white chocolate, finely chopped

1 pkg cream cheese, room temp

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

10 oz frozen raspberries, thawed

3 Tbsp sugar

1. Prepare a coeur a la creme mold or a small colander by placing 2 sheets of wet cheesecloth inside and pressing them along the base and walls.  Let the overhang fall over the sides.
2. Microwave the white chocolate on high for 20 seconds at a time, stirring between each, until smooth.  Let cool slightly.
3. Beat the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the cream, and powdered sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add the white chocolate and beat until very smooth, about 2 minutes.  
5. In another bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup cream to stiff peaks.  
6. Gently fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture.  
7. Spoon the finished batter into the prepared mold, smoothing the top with a spatula.  Fold the cheesecloth over to enclose it completely.  Place the mold on a rimmed sheet pan or another rimmed dish.  Refrigerate overnight.
8. Meanwhile, combine the raspberries with their juice and the sugar in a blender and blend until smooth.  
9. Press the puree through a sieve into a small bowl to remove the seeds.  Cover and chill for up to 4 hours.
10. Remove the mold from the refrigerator and discard the liquid that has collected beneath it.  Pull back the cheesecloth and carefully invert onto a serving platter.  Gently pull away and discard the cheesecloth.  Serve in generous dollops in shallow bowls, topped with a spoonful of raspberry sauce.