Coeur a la Creme

Try this classic French dessert topped with the raspberry sauce below or your favorite fruit reduction or sauce.

Ingredients
12 ounces cream cheese (must be at room temperature)
1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 1/2 cups heavy cream (cold)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 vanilla bean

Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer on high speed with a paddle attatchment for a couple of minutes.  If your cream cheese is not room temp, this will not work well. 

Use a sharp knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds inside. Use the empty pod to make Vanilla Sugar or Real Vanilla Coffee. Change to a whisk attachment on your mixer.  On low speed add cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest,  and seeds scraped from vanilla bean.  The mixture will have a thick whipped cream texture.

Line a couer a la cream mold with cheese cloth.  The mold is heart shaped porcelain and has small holes in the bottom for drainage of excess liquids. Place it on a plate.  Pour mixture into cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top and refrigerate over night or at least 12 hours.  Unmold the cream onto a plate and drizzle with a fruit reduction or sauce such as the traditional raspberry sauce below.

Raspberry sauce:

Ingredients:
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves or jam
1 tablespoon Chambord

Put the raspberries, sugar and a quarter cup of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat.  Simmer for five minutes. 

Pour the mixture into a food processor and blend smooth.  Chill before serving.  Sprinkle with extra berries if desired.  I make the same recipe with blueberries sometimes for the red, white and blue look.

Recipe courtesy of Jerry Lambert at www.vegaslamb.wordpress.com

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Gourmet Vanilla Beans

Pure Vanilla Extract

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