P & Q: Coeur à la Crème

by on February 10, 2013 in problems and questions

Are you making this for your Valentine? Needs to be perfect, special or just so-so? Questions? Concerns? Suggestions? Clues? Leave them here.

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This post was written by who has written 36 posts on French Fridays with Dorie.

23 Responses to “P & Q: Coeur à la Crème”

  1. Cher February 10, 2013 at 5:57 PM #

    Mine never solidified enough to slice – so it ended up being a very tasty dip for strawberries. (Which were surprisingly flavorful given the time of year).

    Would love to hear any tips from anyone who was able to get it into a sliceable form.

  2. SisBoom February 10, 2013 at 8:20 PM #

    Its an odd version of this dish if you ask me. But then for me nothing ever goes right on Valentine’s Day.

  3. MARY February 10, 2013 at 11:26 PM #

    I am wondering if anyone successfully made this yet. I need this to work because I’m taking it to a dinner party that’s being given in my honor. So it would be nice if my FFWD recipe worked………… I just can’t do dip, tasty or otherwise. Help!

  4. anderlani1 February 11, 2013 at 2:45 AM #

    I hate to even ask this, since it does not seem like the recipe is working so well, but would I totally destroy it if I used a dish towel in place of the cheese cloth? Maybe if I leave it to drain for longer than the recipe states? I can’t find cheese cloth ANYWHERE. I have a yogurt bag thing, but there’s no chance that I’d get the dessert out without inverting the bag and dumping it out, so I don’t want to use that. (Though, it doesn’t sound like the coeur a la creme is holding together well anyway, so maybe it wouldn’t matter). If I’d planned better, I’d have ordered cheese cloth on Amazon, but it won’t arrive in time if I do it now.

  5. rosa February 11, 2013 at 4:41 AM #

    Oh dear, sorry to hear that some of you are having trouble. I made mine over the weekend and it turned out. I don’t have a form so I just used my strainer and something that the kitchen store called dumpling cloth (looked a bit like stiff cheese cloth). I then left it overnight (probably about 24 hours in total) and it came out perfectly sliceable (and crazy delicious). It was my first time making this particular dish so it may have just been beginners luck. I probably had a good 1/2 cup of liquid drain out.

    And Ei, paper towels might work. Maybe even poke some tiny holes in them. You’ll have to carefully peel them off at the end, but for some reason I think that would work better than a dish towel, which might absorb and hold too much of the liquid close to the cake. Just a thought.

  6. MARY February 11, 2013 at 12:18 PM #

    You cannot imagine the problem I had finding cheesecloth. And, hearts with holes!!! What’s up with that. Thanks, Teresa.

    • Cher February 11, 2013 at 12:44 PM #

      I used a sieve lined with cheese cloth. No holey hearts here :-)
      I am not sure what it’s like out in your “neck of the woods”, but most larger grocery stores around here seem to carry it in the baking section or wherever they sell small kitchen gadgets/ utensils.

    • KarenP February 11, 2013 at 2:18 PM #

      Like Cher I can also usually find it in grocery stores, and I am in NV too (though up North in Reno). I think I got some at Bed, Bath and Beyond once.

  7. Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) February 11, 2013 at 9:20 PM #

    This was simple and perfect.

    It did not set as much as my mum’s recipe (which I posted last year: http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2012/02/coeur-a-la-creme/ ) but it worked very well for sure.

    The heart molds I ordered online a few years ago from http://www.goldaskitchen.com and our local dollr store carries cheesecloth in the cooking aisle.

    Cher, I’m not sure it’s meant to be sliced – even my mum’s firmer version doesn’t slice well. Which is why I bought the individual heart molds… ;)

  8. Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) February 11, 2013 at 9:32 PM #

    My comment is awaiting moderation?

  9. lizzydo February 12, 2013 at 8:34 AM #

    I made this a couple weeks ago (before we chose Feb’s recipes) using Ina Garten’s recipe…so am not making Dorie’s. It turned out beautifully…if you want to compare recipes, here’s mine:

    http://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/2013/02/coeur-a-la-creme-with-raspberry-sauce-sundaysupper-valentinesday.html

  10. Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) February 12, 2013 at 3:36 PM #

    (Posting again as my original comment is being held for moderation, maybe because I included links??)

    This was simple and perfect.

    It did not set as much as my mum’s recipe (search coeur à la creme on my blog) but it worked very well for sure.

    The heart molds I ordered online a few years ago from Golda’s Kitchen and our local dollar store carries cheesecloth in the cooking aisle.

    Cher, I’m not sure it’s meant to be sliced – even my mum’s firmer version doesn’t slice well. Which is why I bought the individual heart molds… ;)

    • Cher February 12, 2013 at 7:10 PM #

      The serving instructions with the recipe mentioned slicing it like a cake and since I’ve never had it before, assumed that meant it was supposed to be kind of solid? I guess I am still not sure what the final texture is supposed to be like.

      • Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) February 12, 2013 at 9:17 PM #

        LOL – Cher, I know how to make this dish so well all I did was look at the ingredients and make sure I used those instead of my mum’s which I am used to making! I didn’t even read the rest of the recipe!! Ahem. Are you surprised? #rogue

  11. MARY February 12, 2013 at 9:32 PM #

    I made Dorie’s recipe today. The mixture is delicious. The jury is still out on whether it will set properly. It was easy to put together so maybe I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill. Thursday I am going to make Ina’s recipe I have two hearts and am throwing in some star molds) and for dinner, we’ll compare. I know both will be delicious in taste. I am more interested in the presentation and if I get a solid dessert. Yes, everyone, I’ve always found cheesecloth in grocery stores, just not now when I needed it.

    • Cher February 12, 2013 at 9:35 PM #

      My fingers are crossed for you Mary! I hope you post results from both of your heart experiments (and stars) – very curious!

  12. alwaysaddmorebutter February 14, 2013 at 10:01 AM #

    Mine has been in the fridge all night and is still at a dip-like consistency…..guess I will be making those homemade graham crackers to slather it on!

  13. Lola's Kitchen February 14, 2013 at 10:25 AM #

    Oh man! I won’t get to this until tonight or tomorrow! So glad I read all this..now I’m nervous:)

  14. tammycirceo February 15, 2013 at 2:17 AM #

    I made this yesterday and served it tonight (Valentine’s night, the 14th) … it was wonderful! And despite have overbeaten my first batch of cream so that I now have fresh butter, there were no glitches. Well … unless you count my not having a proper mold and having to improvise … Oh, and then the problems with uploading my photos for my post. :P I sure hope to get this up on the blog on Friday, but I’m not feeling much hope at the moment. Things are not looking to be in my favor, right?

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