Coeur à la Crème

Ingredients

  • 2 cups ricotta
  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • grated rind of 1 orange or lemon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • sugar to taste (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
  • frozen raspberries or strawberries

Equipment

  • measuring cup and spoons
  • food processor or blender
  • sieve and cheesecloth to line it
  • bowl large enough to hold the sieve
  • zester or fine grater
  • heart-shaped mold with holes for draining
  • pan large enough to contain the heart-shaped mold

Recipe attribution:

Sydney Massey

This recipe only takes about 10 minutes of preparation, but you'll need to get started a day ahead of time so that the whey can drain away.

DAY 1

  1. Combine ricotta and yogurt.
  2. Blend until smooth. 
  3. Pour into a cheesecloth lined sieve set over a bowl.
  4. Drain in refrigerator for 24 hours.

DAY 2

  1. Turn drained cheese mixture into a bowl.
  2. Blend with grated rind, vanilla and sugar.
  3. Turn into heart-shaped mold lined with cheesecloth. Set on a dish (I use a pyrex square baking dish) to collect any additional whey.
  4. Drain in refrigerator for another 4 hours.
  5. Thaw the frozen berries and purée. You should have about 1 cup of purée. Sweeten with a dusting of sugar, if desired.

PRESENTATION

Turn mold onto plate and remove the cheesecloth.
Pour puréed berries around the heart.

Even if you don't have the heart-shaped mold, you can still make the recipe using a sieve. You'll just end up with a rounded mound of crème which will still look festive surrounded by the puréed berries.


The whey you collect when draining the yogurt-ricotta mixture is great as a substitute for buttermilk in pancakes.