Chocolate Coeur a la Creme
Source of Recipe
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Recipe Introduction
Without a doubt, the quintessential Valentine's dessert is coeur a la creme, French for heart of cream, and I can understand why. A wonderfully rich mixture of cream, cream cheese, and chocolate is allowed to set in heart-shaped molds with perforated bottoms to allow the moisture to drain overnight. The dessert can be served with chocolate-dipped strawberries or shortbread cookies, maybe both!
List of Ingredients
Makes 6 servings
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped and melted
Six 6-inch squares cheesecloth, dampened with water (or a 12-inch square for a large mold)
Six 4-inch coeurs a la creme molds (or 1 large 8-inch mold)
For the strawberries:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 strawberries, at room temperature
1 recipe sugar cookies or Butter Cookies (recipe follows)Recipe
Put the cream and the vanilla in a medium-size mixing bowl and beat at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
In another medium-size mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the chocolate and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Fold in the whipped cream.
Line each mold with a square of the cheesecloth. Divide the chocolate cream mixture evenly among the molds. Fold the overhanging cheesecloth over the tops. Place the molds on a rack set on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 8 hours.
For the strawberries: Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Stir the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over hot (but not simmering) water until melted and smooth. Remove from over the water. Holding each berry by the stem or hull, dip 2/3 deep into the chocolate. Shake gently to remove excess. Place on the prepared baking sheet. (Set the chocolate over hot water to soften if necessary while working.) Refrigerate the berries until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.
When ready to serve, carefully remove the hearts from the molds and gently remove the cheesecloth.
Serve the hearts on individual plates with the strawberries and the cookies.
Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Makes about 28 cookies
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Cream the butter and 1/2 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Cream the mixture until it is smooth and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating in between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat for 1 minute and add the vanilla.
Combine 1 1/4 cups of the flour and the salt in a small mixing bowl and add to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until it is fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the batter is thick and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Generously dust a large sheet of parchment or waxed paper with flour. Spoon the dough down the center of the paper, fold the paper tightly over the dough and roll into a cylinder about 2 inches in a diameter and about 17 inches long. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and peel away the paper. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place them on the baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the remaining sugar. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool completely in the pan. Remove them from the pan using a spatula or thin knife. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and sugar.
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