Coeur à La Crème is a French dessert with a very French name. And I may never get the pronunciation right. But making it? Yes I got that right, all the way down to the T. You can never go wrong with this dessert. It tastes heavenly with that Grand Marnier strawberry sauce. This is a gorgeous dessert worthy of any special occasion, be it birthday parties or bridal showers.
Many years ago, I first laid my eyes on a Coeur à La Crème in a magazine. It was such a pretty picture; heart shaped cream with delicate cross hatching on the surface surrounded by a red coulis or sauce, it looked like a bleeding heart. I was pretty intrigued by the whole sight, how on earth do you create such a pretty dessert in the shape of a heart. I couldn’t get it out of my head until I finally figured it all. After a lot of searching around, I found out that all I needed was a Coeur à La Crème mold, which is basically a perforated heart shaped porcelain dish and cheese.
The French phrase Coeur à La Crème literally translates into English as “Heart of Cream”. This classic heart-shaped dessert is the epitome of a crustless, no-bake cheesecake. It is light, ultra-creamy and simply irresistible. Make this super-impressive cheesecake and you will be crowned the dessert queen or king. Whip up the cheese with some flavorings and place them on a Coeur à la Crème mold lined with cheesecloth, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Any moisture from the cheese is drained through the perforated bottom.The cheesecloth gives this heart shaped cheesecake a delicate texture on the surface. I use a mix of cream cheese and ricotta cheese here, but sometimes I make it with all cream cheese. The cheese may vary but the one constant that I always stick to is vanilla bean seeds. I always use vanilla bean to flavor the molded cream. A little bit of lemon zest brightens up the flavor.
The strawberry coulis or sauce is absolutely necessary for the optimum indulgence of this luscious cheesecake. The fruity sauce is infused with Grand Marnier, which is an orange flavored liquor. It balances out the rich and creamy Coeur à La Crème. Besides, when spooned over and around the ‘Heart of Cream” it makes a gorgeous presentation; looks like a bleeding heart. I cannot think of a more befitting dessert when it comes to matters of the heart. So this Valentine’s Day say it with this Coeur à La Crème with Grand Marnier strawberry coulis.
Recipe
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
 | 8 ounce cream cheese at room temperature |
| 8 ounce ricotta cheese at room temperature. Strain any extra liquid by putting the cheese on a sieve or strainer |
| 2 ½ cups very cold heavy cream |
| 1 ¼ cups confectioner’s sugar |
| 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped |
| 2 teaspoon vanilla essence |
| ¼ teaspoon lemon zest |
| 1 cup fresh strawberries |
| Strawberry sauce |
Special Equipment
- A 24 ounce Coeur à La Crème mold
- A 16 inch by 16 inch piece of cheese cloth
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Place cream cheese, ricotta cheese and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes |
| Scrape down the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula |
| Change the paddle for a whisk attachment |
| With the mixer on low speed add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds |
| Beat the mixture on high speed until it reaches the consistency of whipped cream |
| Line a 7 inch Coeur à la Crème mold with a cheesecloth, the ends of the cheese cloth should drape over the sides of the mold |
| Place the mold on a plate. Any liquid from the cheese mixture will drain on the plate |
| Pour the cream mixture over the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or upto a day |
| To serve, discard the liquid on the plate. Unmold the heart shaped cream onto a plate and drizzle strawberry sauce around the base. Serve with fresh strawberries and extra sauce |
Strawberry sauce
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 4 cups strawberries |
| ¼ cup sugar |
| ½ cup water |
| Zest of one orange, removed in thin strips with a vegetable peeler |
| 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice |
| 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange flavored liqueur |
| ¼ cup strawberry jam |
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Combine sugar, water and orange zest in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved |
| Boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes |
| Remove zest with a fork |
| Puree strawberries in a blender or food processor |
| Force the puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Press hard on solids; discard the solids |
| Add the strawberry puree to the saucepan with syrup |
| Add strawberry jam and cook the mixture over medium heat for about 5 minutes |
| Stir in lemon juice and Grand Marnier to the strawberry sauce |
| Strain the sauce onto a bowl, through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any scum from cooking the sauce |
| Serve strawberry sauce, chilled or at room temperature |
If you make this Coeur à La Crème with Grand Marnier Strawberry Coulis, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! And if you do make this recipe, please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or your favorite social media platform! I would love to see pictures of your creations.
Inspiration: Pretty desserts
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