In the Pink: Coeur à la Crème

Emily at la dolce vita introduced this sweet idea as a way to raise Breast Cancer awareness: "In the Pink." The challenge is to create a pink edible.

Hmm...pink food that isn't covered in fuzz because it was forgotten in the hinterlands of the fridge (I know there's a passage to Narnia back there). The only (intentional) experience I've had with pink food so far was the homemade yogurt experiment.

As usual, my first plan of attack was built on lunacy. Some day I will actually embrace Sun Tzu's teachings. But in the kitchen, my approach is sometimes the culinary equivalent of engaging in a land war in Asia (apologies to Mr. Goldman). I had an elaborate plan involving Carl Fabergé, the Duchess of Marlborough and the 1902 Serpent Clock egg. Greg quickly restored me to reason after I described my vision:

Greg: "I'm sorry, you just sounded completely insane."

Me: "Which part? The pink food blog event? The Fabergé Egg part? The Consuleo Vanderbilt thing?"

Greg (nodding): "Yes."

The lack of an egg shaped mold and the realization that my paycheck doesn't come from playing for hours in my kitchen (yet) suggested something simpler. And, having spent entirely too much time in the last two weeks testing red velvet cake recipes, I am caked out. No more flour.

Searching the cabinets for some inspiration, I came across several heart shaped molds. I hadn't made coeur à la crème in a long time. Coeur à la crème means "heart of the cream," so called because the cheese and cream mixture is drained of its whey overnight, producing a firm cheese dessert. I had coeur à la crème for the first time in 1987, when I was living in Grenoble, in the south of France. Tata Michelle made it for dessert one night and I thought the texture was absolutely marvelous - light, smooth, creamy. It does require a special perforated mold (lined with cheesecloth), but is otherwise ridiculously easy to make. I would love to be educated on its origins -- so if anyone knows coeur à la crème's history, please do comment. In any case, making a heart shaped dessert is apropos to both the event, and the person(s) for whom it is dedicated.

It's for a little boy who padded into his chemo-stricken mother's room to pat her on the head, his childish attempt to soothe an imitation of her actions when he felt poorly; it's for the boy who ripped flowers from the hospital garden to bring them to his mother in her isolation room at the hospital, roots and all; it's for the same little boy who encouraged his mother to embrace a stranger suffering in the same manner, providing both women with a sweet moment of solidarity.

This dessert is dedicated to his mother, a breast cancer survivor, who has become an impossibly dear friend; and whose spirit and verve remind me that every moment is a gift and a joy.

Coeur à la Crème

special equipment: coeur à la crème molds, available at some Williams Sonoma or specialty kitchen/cooking stores

1 cup ricotta cheese or mascarpone cheese
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 T vanilla extract

Line individual molds with fine cheesecloth.

Press the cheese (if using ricotta cheese; skip this part if using mascarpone) through a fine sieve into a large bowl.

Whip the cheese, 1/4 cup of cream and vanilla until well blended (if you wanna make it pink, now is the time to add 1-2 drops of pink food coloring). In a separate bowl, beat the remaining cup of cream with the confectioner's sugar until stiff peaks form. Lightly fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the molds, tapping the molds gently to make sure there are no air bubbles. Place the molds on a tray and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours) to allow the whey to drain.

To serve, turn out each mold onto a plate and serve with a chocolate or a fruit sauce.

Comments

[J]

hi cath, that looks fabulously pretty in pink...i can't think of a more apt tribute to breast cancer awareness raising...

[Alice]

Wow...that looks very good. I just know that I would love it...I have a real fondness for dairy desserts. Now, I'll just have to wait to get some of those molds. :)

[Stephanie]

Oh, I love your references. Princess Bride!

And to add to that...according to "Angel":

Doyle: I bet youve seen a lot of wars haven't ya?
Angel: 14, not including Vietnam, it was never declared.

Very nice heart!

[Cath]

Hi J! Pink is such an easy color to love, isn't it? Except when it's covered with fuzz and smells weird. Then it should be feared. Oh yes, it should be.

Alice, the dessert is addictive -- totally easy to make and you'll love it.

Stephanie -- I worship Joss Whedon. I've been convinced for years that his dialogue writing is better than his actors are capable of delivering. Thanks for catching the references! ;-)

[Cassandra]

My dearest Jane,

Thank you for honoring the precious memories that I shared with you. Those little hands which patted so tenderly, and ever so proudly brought a most beautiful bouquet ... those hands hold my heart. He is almost grown now, a young man with a compassionate heart and a verve for every beating moment of life, so your dedication is most appropriate.

I am alive now, more than I have ever been! Cancer can bring us to our knees, but it is there that we discover the exquisite gift hidden beneath it. For we learn that to love, to be loved, to laugh, and to share all the joys and passions of life with those most dear to us is, in the end, all that truly matters.

And had I not learned that lesson, I might never have taken the path that brought me to such dear friends as you, Cath.

The coeur à la crème was most delightful, and more so for the love with which you made it.

With love,
Cassandra

[Cath]

Cassandra my dear, it's easy to cook with love when I have friends like you for whom to cook...

[Emily]

Hi Cathy,

What a beautiful dessert- and an even more beautiful dedication. I'm sorry your Faberge egg concept didn't happen (I'd certainly liked to have seen your take on it!) but what you made in the end posesses a simple, unassuming beauty that perfectly suits the mood of this event.

Thank you for contributing.

[Ruth]

What a beautiful post. Thanks for sharing it with the rest of us.

[Cath]

Hey Emily! Great event -- thanks for hosting. And I think I will do that Faberge Egg thing after all.... ;-)

[chronicler]

I loved your post. Your coeur ala creme is very tempting. My husband would love it. Now to go to william sonoma!

[keiko]

Such a beautiful post and dessert, I'll try this recipe with my heart shape moulds ;)