Coeur à la Crème with Grand Marnier Raspberry Sauce is an elegant dessert to serve for Valentine’s Day. This classic dessert (French for heart of cream) is quite easy to prepare, but amazing in its presentation and taste.
I’m not generally one to purchase a “one use” kitchen item, but I made an exception for the Coeur à la Crème mold. It has a perforated bottom that allows the mixture to drain and properly compact.
Ingredients
I used the following ingredients for the Coeur à la Crème, adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe in Barefoot in Paris: Cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, grated lemon zest, and the seeds scraped from one vanilla bean.
Making the Coeur à la Crème
To make the Coeur à la Crème, I placed the room temperature cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of my stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat it on high for 2 minutes.
After scraping down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula, I changed to the whisk attachment. I started the mixer on low speed. Then I added the heavy cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest and vanilla seeds. Once everything had been added, I beat the mixture on high speed until it was very thick, and had the consistency of whipped cream.
I lined the heart-shaped mold with damp cheesecloth so that the ends draped over the sides and placed the mold on a rimmed baking sheet. I added the cream mixture to the mold and smoothed the top with a rubber spatula. When the top was smooth, I folded the ends of the cheesecloth over the top. Before putting it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, I tapped the mold on the kitchen counter several times to help compact the mixture. I actually had some mixture left over. Therefore, I placed it in a cheesecloth lined wire mesh strainer set over a bowl, and refrigerated it as well.
Making the Grand Marnier Raspberry Sauce
Meanwhile, I made the Grand Marnier Raspberry Sauce. I used the following ingredients: Fresh raspberries, granulated sugar, seedless raspberry jam, water and Grand Marnier.
I added the raspberries, sugar and water to a small saucepan and brought it to a boil over high heat. Then I lowered the heat and simmered the raspberries for 4 minutes. After allowing the raspberries to cool a bit, I added them, along with the raspberry jam and Grand Marnier, to the bowl of my food processor fitted with a steel blade. Then I processed it until it was smooth. This took about 20 seconds. I poured the sauce into a wire mesh strainer over a bowl to separate the seeds. I was amazed how many raspberry seeds there were. I transferred the raspberry sauce to a plastic squeeze bottle and refrigerated it for later use.
Now came the moment of truth! I un-molded the Coeur à la Crème onto a plate and carefully removed the cheesecloth. I was surprised that very little liquid had drained from the mixture. I drizzled raspberry sauce around the base and added some raspberries for appearance. The Coeur à la Crème with Grand Marnier Raspberry Sauce was an elegant dessert for Valentine’s Day. Yum!
If you’re looking for some more Valentine’s Day desserts, check out my Flourless Chocolate Cake or Red Velvet Madeleines.
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Coeur à la Crème with Grand Marnier Raspberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners' sugar
- 2 ½ cups cold heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest
- Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
- 1 pint fresh raspberries for garnish
Grand Marnier Raspberry Sauce
- 1 cup (½ pin)t fresh raspberries
- ½ cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam
- 1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier*
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. 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 extract, lemon zest and vanilla seeds and bet on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.
- Line a heart-shaped mold with dampened cheesecloth so that the ends drape over the sides and place it o a plate for the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate and carefully remove the cheesecloth. Drizzle raspberry sauce around the base and serve with raspberries and extra sauce. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Grand Marnier Raspberry Sauce
- Place raspberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; lower heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam and Grand Marnier into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Strain through wire mesh strainer to remove seeds. Chill. Yield: 2 cups.
This looks absolutely delicious! I wish I loved closer so I could have tasted it! You should submit the photo to FoodGawker, its really beautiful!
I’d love to know what it tastes like. Is it like cheese cake? It sounds dreamy. I would love to make it!
Its taste is much lighter than that of a cheese cake, but definitely has the taste of cream cheese. Its consistency is more like mousse than a cheese cake. It’s incredibly easy to make, and quite impressive!
Looks divine! The perfect dessert for Valentines Day!
It tastes as good as it looks!
Mmm this looks delicious! So creamy!
It is delicious!