~Molly & Jamie At the Green Market~

From Food Stylist Molly:

It wasn’t until I moved to New York that I started drinking milk from local dairies. I was so excited when I found glass bottles of locally produced milk in the regular supermarket. The pretty, retro glass bottles were enough to entice me to buy it, and the milk was so much fresher, creamier and tastier. I couldn’t believe the difference! There are a bunch of small, local dairies that are supplying the city and its farmer’s markets with wonderful milk, cream, yoghurt and other dairy products.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I decided to make a Coeur a la Creme. French in name and origin, Coeur a la Creme is an incredibly simple, yet lovely and refined dessert. You only need a handful of ingredients and can make both the cream hearts and raspberry sauce in advance. Fresh cream and cheese are the stars of this dessert, so the quality and freshness of your dairy ingredients are essential to your success. Happy Valentine’s Day, lovers. And for all you single girls (and guys), go for it! There is no reason why we can’t have our cake and eat it too.

Coeur a la Creme

Special Equipment: Four 4” Coeur a la Creme molds, cheesecloth

• 1/2 cup farmer’s cheese

• 1/2 cup creme fraiche

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 2/3 cup heavy cream, very cold

Line each heart mold with a piece of cheese cloth so that the cloth hangs over the sides of the mold by about 2 inches. Set aside.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the farmer’s cheese, creme fraiche, sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Remove the paddle and replace with a whisk attachment. Add the heavy cream and whip until you have the texture of whipped cream (this happens quite quickly- don’t over whip!)

Spoon the cream into the lined molds. Fold the cheesecloth over the top so that the entire surface area is covered with cloth. Place the finished molds on a plate and refrigerate overnight.

Raspberry Sauce

• 4 pints raspberries, rinsed and drained

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Place half of the raspberries in a bowl and muddle with a fork. In a medium saucepan, combine the muddled raspberries, whole raspberries, sugar and lemon juice. Place over medium low heat and gently simmer until the raspberries have softened and begun to release their juices, about 5 minutes. Cool completely and set aside or refrigerate until ready for use.

To Assemble:

Place a large spoonful of the chilled raspberry sauce on a plate. Take a heart mold and peel the cheesecloth from the top of the cream. Carefully invert the heart onto the center of the plate and gently peel away the cheesecloth. Repeat with the remaining molds and serve immediately.

~ Recipe and words by Food Stylist, Molly Shuster. Photography by me.

An ongoing collaboration, please do see more recipes from our series!